about my Dad, on what would have been his 64th birthday (November 16, 1942):
- he was the youngest boy in a family with three (much) older sisters
- when he was in high school, his friends tied a bra to the passenger side mirror on the new car he was proudly driving around town, so it would flutter in the wind without him seeing it
- he was really good at maintaining and fixing cars and loved to help his friends who raced keep their stock cars in running order
- the first time I remember seeing him cry was when one of his best friends died of cancer when he and my Dad were in their early 40's; the next time was when our 16-year old dog died
- my Dad kept in touch with friends he had known ever since he was a little boy
- he forgave me for being an unforgivably terrible daughter to him during my angry teenage years (and sometimes during other years, too)
- he only attended school through high school, but was very smart and well-read
- my Dad saved everything I ever gave him
- I was able to tell him my darkest secrets with the knowledge that he would listen and not judge
- he was unfailingly proud of me, whether I deserved it or not
- even though he was a quiet man who grew up in a small town, he was so friendly and kind that more than one hundred people came to his memorial service
- after he died, I found a list he made of what he believed to be his faults . . . the list mirrors almost perfectly the traits I count among my own faults
- even though his father was by all accounts not a very nice man, he was the nicest father a girl could ever want
- he was better at choosing just the gift I would really want than anyone I have ever known
- his last gift to me was an angel ornament that now hangs from the lamp on my nightstand
2 comments:
He sounds like he was a great person and even better father.
Good post. You made me remember things about my own dad that I haven't thought about in years.
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