I have often thought what the hell Mom & Dad were thinking when I came along, 12 years after my last sibling. Mom was 40 and Dad 45 when I was born, in 1963. Whatever possessed them?! Mom recently told me that she thought of having yet another baby to keep me company. I recall, when I was about 30, Dad told me I was an "accident". I took no offense. I always thought Mom knew what she was doing, and Dad probably thought he was gettin' lucky. Dad and I didn't always get along. In fact, when I was in my teens and early college, I was distraught. Mom finally told me that the reason we clashed is that we were exactly alike. I suppose that's true. Physically I'm nearly a carbon copy of Dad (although as I've aged, I have more of Mom's characteristics). Today dad would have been 93. I'm finding out more about him now that he's passed. More to come on that, perhaps. But for now, I simply miss him.
2 comments:
Thanks for this. My wife's dad was born on July 3 as well. This was our first year without him - he passed away almost a year ago from pulmonary fibrosis. We spent yesterday going through some of his personal effects, a difficult but - I think - necessary process. Made for a rather bittersweet day.
Brad, yes, it is a difficult task, but in my case, a wonderful one as well. In a lot of ways I'm learning more about Dad now that he's passed than I ever knew. I knew he was deeply yet quietly religious, but I have in my possession (to commit to computer memory) a collection of personal devotions. As Mom has said, she believes he would love to have been a (Episcopal) priest, but didn't feel himself worthy.
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