Tuesday, July 23, 2013
My dad. Along with Mom, he gave his all for his family, despite the considerable challenges that faced them along the way. Our home was always a clean, welcoming place to share meals, hugs, lessons, especially from Dad, where our friends were welcomed as family and our family welcomed many friends. It was always a place I enjoyed being. As a young boy, when I realized that my folks were a bit more, let's just say, mature, than my classmates' parents, I grappled with the concept of mortality. Actually, I worried about it - a lot! Dad used to say, "John, stop worrying about every cotton picking thing! You're going to have an ulcer before your ten years old! It's going to make an old man out of you." I would wake up in the night, unable to sleep, concerned that Mom and Dad would get old and die. So I'd grab my pillow and blanket and make a bed next to their bedroom door. Somehow Dad always woke up and found me sleeping . . . or crying. He always assured me that he and Mom would be around for a very long time. Well, that time, inevitably, has come, and as I, my family, and everyone else who knew my dad reflect on his life and legacy, we miss his spirit of generosity, his gift of gab, his love and sense of humor, and yes, maybe even his temper. I'm so glad I got to have him around so long, but I'd still rather he didn't have to leave. To be sure, carbon copies we aren't, but I am who I am in large part because of you, Dad. Hope that's okay with you, because it makes me proud to be me. Thanks for hanging around. Miss you always.
