Quote:
Originally Posted by Seahawk
You bet...my version of a prayer outbound.
Tell us about this 94 year old man, your Dad.
I bet it is interesting.
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He's out of surgery now, and doing OK. They may have to go into his lung and try to staple things together if this doesn't hold. That would be dicey, so I pray that this holds.
As a young man, my dad grew up on a farm in New Hampshire, back when they still raked hay by hand onto wagons. He was an artillery man during WW2 and served in Italy, and he was proud of his service, but never really talked about it much, except for how happy people were in Europe when we won.
Coming back to America, he studied art and architecture and was well regarded, but gave up a position teaching at College to help my Mother's Father to shore up a foundering business in New England, where they sold custom made shirts by mail order. A lot of people liked those shirts, including William O Douglas, who wore my father's shirts daily.
He and my mom raised three kids, and my father was a member of his church board and a member of the town redevelopment committee in Newburyport, MA, where he was responsible for designing several colonial facades on restored buildings in the old downtown. A lot of those buildings were falling into the ground when I was a young kid.
I worked for and with my dad for a number of years, but the business climate in New England was shifting away from manufacture in the 80s, and it was getting tough for my father. I really made it my job to help him turn over the business and retire. I have a picture of my dad working on the roof of his camp in Maine when he was 75. In that picture he looks younger and happier than he did in his early 60s while he was running the business.
My dad is a very honest man, a very thoughtful person, and a perfectionist at everything he has done. He is still a sharp guy, but his eyesight is failing now, and he has become frail over the last few years. I don't want to lose him, but I would consider it a blessing if he doesn't have to suffer a lot. He was like a real father to my niece and nephews, and I think his passing will hit them hard, so I hope he eases through the holidays for them. They have been a real joy to him, and I suspect he stuck around as long as he has for them. By contrast I was a real handful, although I hope I made up for it as an adult.
I was fortunate to spend several weeks at my parents place this Summer rebuilding a massive center chimney on their house. I don't live close by, and it was the most time I have spent with my parents in years. It was like old times, and a real gift. My dad would have been right up on the roof with me if he could have been.
My wife just had intestinal surgery yesterday, so I won't be heading to my parents place for at least another day or so.
Thy will, not mine be done, as they say.