June 22, 2013
Today is Dad’s 80th birthday. We live too far apart to be together on many of these big life event days, and this is one of those days where a chat on the telephone just doesn’t quite do it. I am thinking about Dad and there are really so many thoughts but most of all, I just feel blessed to have a dad who shares his spirituality and his passion for nature, which really go hand- in- hand. He shares with me how the Lord has provided for him in immeasurable and unseen ways, and in concrete ways–as when a bike part broke on a ride out in the desert, only to turn the next bend walking his bike and finding in the path, something that would work to patch a repair, making it possible to ride again.
Some of you may know that I dedicated my ‘Talking about health’ book to my dad. And I observed that he always told me, “If it is important to you, then do it.” Along with that advice, he guided me to expect to work hard to do those important things. And he set an example of working hard.
Dad served in the Air Force during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He was a crew chief on a B-52 bomber. After retirement from the Air Force, he worked for a civilian airport as a facilities and systems maintenance technician. Among my many inherited gifts from him, I love working with my hands in the garden and with wood. I am never afraid to pick up a tool and use it, whether I use it the correct way or not. I have mixed colors of stain to match old woodwork, refinished antique trunks, and repurposed screen doors as art above my fireplace. I know I do these things because Dad’s wood-working skills stir in me.
Dad is not much of one for going to the doctor or for taking medication or having surgery. When he had to have open heart surgery, as I describe in the “Talking about health’ book, he did not let it stop him from being at his grandson’s wedding. He knew before my youngest sister knew that there would be a new granchild in the family–one that he had to heal for so he could take her fishing. And today, at the age of 80, he is enjoying conversations with his five children and looking ahead to a family BBQ tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Dad!
