| I learned about heart from my father. He's a big, gentle, man and so am
I. He never says much (he's still alive, but very sick), but let's his
actions speak for him.
I grow to have more respect for him every day. He's also hilariously
funny without trying to be. My dad gave me a wonderful present this
year. For the first time in my life, when I asked him "What do you want
for your birthday this year?", he didn't say "Oh, I don't know, I don't
need anything".
First he said "I'd like 63 more years to live". To which I answered,
"Yeah, I hear ya. But what do you want that I can *give* to you now?".
He went on to tell me how all the retired men he meets for coffee have
new jackets. "Yes, a new jacket - green, that's what I want".
May sound small to you, but it was huge to me.
jeff
PS. My dad has emphysema from smoking. He can't quit and it's literally
killing him. He's shown me, indirectly, that he is afraid. For me, that
was good to know that it's "OK" to be afraid as a man. The men I saw on
TV always looked fearless. Another gift dad gave me was honesty about
that.
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| this will be my 5th father's day since dad died. I still miss him,
particularly when hiking this time of year. We always used to ride
horses on trails enjoying the beginnings of the season before the
horseflies got too bad.
I remember his encouraging me in math and sciences and taking me along
to be his field tech when doing water, earth, and vapor samples. He
knew where "wild" asparagras grew along the ditch bank of a reactor,
and he and I would bring home "glow in the dark" spears to enjoy.
(Asparagras was "wild" in that it hadn't been cultivated, but had been
washed there 10 years before when a flood ran through a seed company.)
I also remember fresh milk right from the cows when he was working on
background checks in milk as well.
Dad didn't hunt, but when I took it up 10 years ago, he was more than
supportive, sending me tips, and gear.
I really miss him.
meg
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| The most memorable story I have...
I was about 10 years old.. My oldest sister Donna had just gotten married
to her High School sweetheart (lenny) , and they had just moved to Maryland
where he was at the time, stationed (Andrews A.F.B)
We (Me, Mom, Dad) had gone down to Maryland for an August visit with Lenny's
folks.
The first night we got there, we (Lenny, my Dad, Lenny's Dad and myself)
had gone to the park where there was a pool and a basketball hoop..
I remember it being BLISTERING hot, and we went swimming, then to starting
playing OUT or something like that..
Well, I guess the fast foods from the trip had been too much for my dad,
out of nowhere, he's just got to get to a bathroom.. Being after dusk,
all the care-takers of the park had left for the day, and the building
where the rest rooms were was locked... by the time we find this out,
Dad's really getting nervous,, It's probably a 3 minute walk back to
my sisters place, (which we were about to find out, it was a 1.5
minute run!)
So here come's the four of us,, Dad in the lead, arms waving, muttering
words like,, "I AM NOT GONNA MAKE IT",, and, "Oh lord, please let the
bathroom be empty..." Lenny and Lenny's Dad Burt, can barley run from
laughing... Me, thinking my Dad's gonna die, am managing to keep
up with him...
As we approach Donna's apartment, (which thankfully was a ground floor
unit with a patio) Dad heads for the sliding doors as fast as I've
ever seen him run,,,,
Evidently, in the gathering darkness, he never noticed the screen door was
closed.... Until, of course, he ran through it.....
Seconds later,, there's Dad, doing this dance in Donna's living room,
holding the screen door.. by now, the lady's have picked up on
what the commotion was about, just at the same time Burt and Lenny
hit the patio... everyone was in complete hysterics....
in the end, he made it, only casualty was the screen door, which was
completely anhilated... My mom was still laughing a week later while we
were driving home.. of course it was during that 12 hour trip back
from Maryland, that I came down with the Mumps...
Today Dad's in a nursing home fading away with Alzheimers,, I have
a lot of memories like this with Dad, he was a fun guy to be around,
and I know now that times like that night in Maryland stay with
you forever,, unlike your health which can go any time..
I only hope my kids have a few fun memories like this when I'm
on the other side of life,,,,
/r
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My father passed away on Nov 6th 1994. He was a coach , teacher,
father of five and just a great guy. I spoke at his funeral
and here is what I said.
There are many, many moments that I will remember spending with Dad,
but there are two memories that will stay with me the longest.
One is of Holy Cross and one is of family gatherings.
Each year we would spend a two day football weekend at Holy Cross,
but football was not the important part of the weekend. We would walk
around the beautiful Holy Cross campus and my father would have many
stories to tell. Some I was hearing for the first time and some I
heard many times before and I loved them every time I heard them.
Last month we made one final trip to Holy Cross. This one only lasted
a few hours due to my father's illness but it's the one that I will
remember most.
There were three things I could count on hearing from my
father when the whole family would get together.
First : He would ask for everyone's attention and say
how happy and proud he was that the whole family could
be together at one time.
second : He would have a joke to tell.
and finally : When it was time to leave he would stand outside,
wave and simply say "Safe home".
Well Dad , there are three things I would like to say to you.
First : We are all here to say how much we love you.
second : Be careful which golf joke you tell St. Peter .
and finally : Safe home , Dad , safe home.
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