Remembering Dad

Last year at this time my father was quite ill and preparing to undergo a necessary surgery to restore his health. Because I was some 500 miles away and the surgery was deemed risky for his age and current health, I prepared to travel to visit him a week before he was to go into surgery. I knew I had only a couple of days to spend with him and that this could possibly be my goodbye. I wanted to leave him SOMEthing, but what? I decided to make him a card. I put a crayon in my nondominant hand and drew a picture of him with his eight children. He would be delighted with something made by hand, no matter what it looked like. I would take it with me and add a message to the inside before I saw him ...

sages and fathers ...

The first sage to grace my path became well known to me at a very early age. With the patience of Job and a profound love of simplicity, he accompanied me for long periods of time in animated conversation and debate. His earliest words of wisdom, that I am able to recall, came in the form of a song that I proudly shared with my Kindergarten teacher and classmates at the age of five:

♫ A smile is such a funny thing it wrinkles up your face;
And when it’s gone you’ll never find its secret hiding place. ♫

That special sage is my father, who, 42 years later continues to be one of the wisest persons I have ever known. What a gift it is to have a sage for a father. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!

There are many fathers in my large family, but I must make mention of the newest one who will be christened this Sunday as we gather to celebrate with the wisest one already mentioned.

Mert is the proud father of the little peanut from last week's Keeping Me Sane post.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, MERTY!

And while I am tempted to further elaboration, I will conclude here with the words of that first sage to grace my path; that special sage known as my father:

"All that you say need be true.
However, you need not say ALL that is true."