Happy Birthday to Dad...
who would have been 84 today.
Took flowers to the grave. Molly
went with me so I could tell her a bit
about her grandfather. She even sat
very still on his grave while I took
her picture.
I miss you, Dad. You would have loved
the weather today. High of 80 (it's almost
there now), beautiful sunshine, cool nights.
You would have loved meeting your
newest grandchild and your three new
great-grandbabies. You would have loved
Molly, too, and the house renovations
and the flower and herb gardens.
And you would have listened patiently
as I told you my concerns about my job
situation. And you would have wanted
Mom to go to the beach, but you know
she would never have done that while
you were living unless you went too.
I can think of very few places (in the
ten or so years preceding your death)
that she has been without you.
And you should see how beautiful
the shade garden is that you and Mom
started for me 4 or so years ago. The peonies
and hydrangeas are thriving, and so are the hostas.
Even the yuccas, which prefer sun, are growing well.
I've added coral bells and columbine and more
hostas and hydrangeas. I also planted an azalea
at the west end of the house--the very corner
of the shade garden. Some lily of the valley, too.
You know those bean poles you bought to border
off the garden area until I decided what I wanted to
do with it? Well, I removed them when I added
landscape rock around the garden, but I couldn't
get rid of them. They're stacked, upright, in the
corner behind the screened-in porch. Maybe I'll
even plant some pole beans next summer and I'll
use them. Been far too long since I had a vegetable
garden. I have my flowers and my herbs, but there's
nothing like home-grown eggplant and peas and
squash and tomatoes and corn and limas and peppers
of all kinds.
Yeah, maybe I'll do that, Dad.
Today, Christopher, Jessica, and baby Isaac
are on their way. I wish you could be here
to see them.
Well--gotta go. I'm crying now, which isn't a bad
thing but I have much to do before the kids get home.
Love you, Pop. Happy Birthday.
3 comments:
"I can think of very few places she has been without you."
What a lovely, loving epistle.
My mother and father loved traveling together. Because they originally were told they probably couldn't have children, they imagined they would travel the world together. And even with children, they wandered far and wide. I wish they could've seen the whole world. They certainly wanted to. At least they got to see England twice, which they loved, and France.
I never miss my father on his birthday which is March. But geez, I miss him keenly in October which is when he died.
Thanks for posting this, Mags.
ps:
That photograph of you with your dad makes me want to cry.
The photo makes me cry.
I keep looking at his hands.
Of all things.
I guess because I miss putting my hand in his--something we always did.
His tanned, calloused hands. His loving hands.
My dad was in the Navy for 30 years. I think there are only two places (traversed by water) that I can think of that he had never been to--Antarctica and....can't remember the other.
I miss him terribly.
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