Today is Memorial Day, an especially poignant one because it is also my father's birthday.
Dad would have been 88 today. He died 10 years ago -- can it really have been that long?
When I think realistically about how old he would be getting now (and my mother as well), I realize it's a little absurd to go down the road of "If only ..." I mean, how many people live to be 88 anyway, and what would his quality of life have been at that age, with his diabetes and high blood pressure and brushes with cancer? And worst of all, no Honey (my mom).
But I still miss them both, and I'm not one bit ashamed about it.
We always had his birthday party on Memorial Day, whether it fell on the 26th or not. He would (over)cook hamburgers on the grill, and we'd have Jay's potato chips and baked beans and Vernor's ginger ale, and of course cake and ice cream. Some Frisbee, some Jarts, some "NBA" (that's what we called basketball the rough, physical way we boys sometimes played it in the driveway), a couple of shoving matches and lots of laughter until long after the sun went down.
And the flag hanging from the big front porch. My folks flew the flag every day, not just on national holidays -- one of those Bennington flags, with the big "76" on it. Dad was a Navy veteran of World War II. He served aboard the destroyer USS Patterson in the South Pacific, which thankfully didn't see a lot of heavy action. I'm sure they had their moments, but Dad didn't really dwell on it or talk about it much. He had a family to generate and raise and a God to serve.
I have a flag that has been furled in a corner near the front door ever since I moved here. Yesterday I finally got around to finding the mounting bracket and installing it on the front of the house. First thing this morning I unfurled the flag and set it out there to wave in the sun.
Yes, I did it for our nation's honored dead. But mostly I did it to honor Dad. Happy birthday. I still love you.
Dad would have been 88 today. He died 10 years ago -- can it really have been that long?
When I think realistically about how old he would be getting now (and my mother as well), I realize it's a little absurd to go down the road of "If only ..." I mean, how many people live to be 88 anyway, and what would his quality of life have been at that age, with his diabetes and high blood pressure and brushes with cancer? And worst of all, no Honey (my mom).
But I still miss them both, and I'm not one bit ashamed about it.
We always had his birthday party on Memorial Day, whether it fell on the 26th or not. He would (over)cook hamburgers on the grill, and we'd have Jay's potato chips and baked beans and Vernor's ginger ale, and of course cake and ice cream. Some Frisbee, some Jarts, some "NBA" (that's what we called basketball the rough, physical way we boys sometimes played it in the driveway), a couple of shoving matches and lots of laughter until long after the sun went down.
And the flag hanging from the big front porch. My folks flew the flag every day, not just on national holidays -- one of those Bennington flags, with the big "76" on it. Dad was a Navy veteran of World War II. He served aboard the destroyer USS Patterson in the South Pacific, which thankfully didn't see a lot of heavy action. I'm sure they had their moments, but Dad didn't really dwell on it or talk about it much. He had a family to generate and raise and a God to serve.
I have a flag that has been furled in a corner near the front door ever since I moved here. Yesterday I finally got around to finding the mounting bracket and installing it on the front of the house. First thing this morning I unfurled the flag and set it out there to wave in the sun.
Yes, I did it for our nation's honored dead. But mostly I did it to honor Dad. Happy birthday. I still love you.
Thanks for the tribute. I was wishing Dad a Happy Birthday, too. His picture is in my living room and I still talk to him sometimes. I miss him too. I was reminded yesterday that before Jesus ascended into heaven he told his friends that he had to go so his Spirit could come and be with them always. The acticle I was reading said that happens to each of us as we leave or let go of someone we love. Their spirit comes to be with us always. This has happened with Dad and Mom and so many others. Thank God we have a spirit that stays with us and brings us love that lasts longer than our limited life on earth.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Sheila