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Wed 27 Mar, 2013 08:25 pm
Today would have been my Dad's 96th birthday. Instead of detailing the milestones he passed and conquered, I just want to say how proud I am to be his daughter. He loved me unconditionally, read me the riot act if I acted like an ass and would not let me become a prissy pain in the butt.. He believed in honor, responsibly and most importantly, family. My mother was diagnosed with Altzheimers when she was 58, he took loving care care of her until she passed away at age 72. He had an entertaining sense of humor, sometimes dark sometimes fanciful but always unique. He was a huge influence in my life and though he's been gone since July 1998, hardly a day goes by without some reminder of Dad.
Dad was first generation Irish American, emphasis on American. He was probably 5'6" but always said he was 5'8". He had a handshake that could be crushing if another man tried to out squeeze him. Even when he had a stroke at age 82, the doctors would come in and ask him to squeeze their fingers as hard as he could. I should have warned them, didn't think it would be a problem because HE HAD A STOKE, but when some poor unsuspecting young doctor would try to gage his strength in that fashion, I would hear Ow ow ow ow, ok that's good. I miss both Mom and Dad, those of you who have lost parents will understand. But today is Dad's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad, I miss you.
@glitterbag,
Ahh, very good post. I understand.
@glitterbag,
Condolences, gb, and thanks for a warm, heartfelt tribute to your dad. My own father would turn 100 next year, had he lived beyond 81.
@ossobuco,
Thank you Jo, I'm feeling sentimental and I knew some of the solid folks would understand. My folks prepared us as best they could for adult hood. I hope I have done something like that for our children, and hopefully live long enough to be a memory for my grand daughter. She turns 2 in April and loves to play with my dogs.
Andy, please share memories of your Dad when his 100th birthday rolls around.
@glitterbag,
Thank you for asking. It won't be til January, 2014.
@Lustig Andrei,
Well, it's only eight months away. Nice to hear from you.
@Lustig Andrei,
Mine would be 107 this year. And probably cranky.
@ossobuco,
After my mom died, my dad was cranky. I can only imagine what he would do if he lived to be 107.
@Lustig Andrei,
I realize it will be 8 months before you can note your Dad's birthday, if you can, would you share a little about your Dad? If you aren't ready, I understand. I think I'm a tad sentimental because we a planning a memorial service for my cousin who died last month. Cousins will be coming from every corner of the US. She never smoked, but was complaining about a cough for at least 5 months and difficulty breathing. Over that time she sought
treatment from specialist to another before one ordered a chest ex ray, only to tell her she had stage 4 lung cancer. She only lasted 6 weeks, all of us are getting older but lung cancer wasn't something any of us thought was possible.
@glitterbag,
Thanx for asking, gb. I think I need to organize my thoughts a bit first. Like most people I've known, Dad was a fairly complex personality and not that easy to categorize in just a few sentences. For example, we disagreed vehemently on US politics (he was a Reagan Republican) but hardly anything else. Give me a chance to sort out my thoughts.
@Lustig Andrei,
Absolutely, I probably wouldn't have posted my thoughts in March if I hadn't been reflecting on Dad that night. People are complicated, my Dad wasn't perfect and as time goes by sometimes you realize your parents didn't always make the right decisions. I do know that despite any difference in opinion, he always wanted the best outcome for me and my brother.
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