Have been thinking quite a bit lately about my dad. Today would have been his 99th birthday. The earliest (fond) memory is of my dad waking me up at the cottage late one night, lifting me up onto the picnic table so I could be at his same height and looking up at all the stars.  I was so young I was usually in bed before it got completely dark outside.  What I saw was beyond amazing – to this day I’ve never seen a sky so full of stars as it was that night.   The cottage was far away from any man-made light and it would have been August…possibly without the moon to dim the beauty of the stars.  I recall him taking time to point out the constellations we could see. It was magical. 

Another was when I was 10 and he was 60. He turned to me and said that I should get to know him because he would be dead soon. Whoa! Can you imagine? It was pretty traumatic at the time as I did not understand the context. He was the older of 3 boys, and both his younger brothers had already passed and he had reached the age his father had died at. We had 14 more years.

I recall dating a fellow who claimed to be agnostic, which to my devote Roman Catholic father was beyond acceptable and not what he envisioned for his baby daughter. I was 18 and he 68.  I sat him down and asked him a question about Peter at the Pearly Gates.  I explained I was interested in his thoughts on what Peter would do if he had 2 men in front of him and he could only allow 1 man in. Not that that would happen but if….So, the one man was a devote Catholic, faithfully going to church each Sunday, said grace before meals, read the rosary every day..,but on a day to day basis was not the kindest or compassionate of men. The other man did not go to church, he did not say the rosary or prayers or grace…but on a day to day basis was kind to each person he met, was compassionate and helpful to everyone in his life. Who would Peter choose to enter? My dad asked me if I spoke of anyone in particular to which I answered (tongue in cheek of course) it was purely hypothetical.  He paused and then answered that he felt Peter would choose the second man who did not go to church but treated everyone with compassion. I raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing further. As you can imagine, my relationship with my father that day changed.

Now my dad was not a saint, nor did we always see eye to eye. But he was a man who did what he was capable of doing based upon his knowledge and his belief system.   I am blessed to have known small pieces of a man who had much to offer but may not have known how to show it. 

I thank you for allowing me to share a few memories on this special day.  I dedicate this post to my dad and every other dad out there. Embrace your children. May I suggest you show them you are human and that you make mistakes. Show them love and compassion and understanding.  They are your legacy but your life with them is part of their foundation which travels with them throughout their journey. Make it a good one.  

Thanks for sharing!

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