My Dad and I shared a bench at the end of a dock this weekend. It took us six hours by car to get to that Adirondack two seater crafted by Doug, my uber-talented brother in law. Traveling with my 86 year old Dad through places that represent some of his best childhood moments is a giant gift to me. His memories are the talismans I get to carry forward. These are also the family foundations that help Daniela understand her roots. For Jill, she gets to understand how I got this way. As I take in his memories and combined them with the countless best of times he and my mom made available to me and my sisters, I recognize that I’ve got to be one of the most fortunate people on the planet. This is the man that showed his family hard work can be fun, that love is an action verb, and he’s also the guy who navigated a four year disease of his nearly 70 year love affair with a girl he met when she was just 14. His wisdom is deep but his life is not caught up in the past. My Dad has demonstrated time after time, that although our family memories are important, it is this day that matters most. He’s the first to acknowledge that he’s lived a very good life but will then shift his lawn chair to get more sun on his face. Adversity for my Dad has only been a place to start from. Anyone that can recover from a seven way bypass, a total knee replacement at 86, and the loss of his extra special girl after nearly seven decades together, yet still sees each day as an opportunity to shine a little light on others, has my vote for Man of the Year. To acknowledge him as #Extraordinary is important, although he’d quickly point out that he’s simply accepted the responsibilities as oldest son, soldier, husband, father, businessman, grandfather, and great grandfather. Each of his seven seasons are inspiring to me, especially when I get to receive the gift of his vivid story telling. It’s not lost on me that he’s the keeper of valuable family treasures. He’s also the one keeping my mothers best of times memories, an equally rich tapestry of childhood stories from the edge of Boeing Field. This weekend, sitting on the bench and having him in the passenger seat discovering new land for me on a trail he’s already hiked, has given me a thirst for more.
Which One am I? I am the son of an #Extraordinary Father that shares my name.