I have been thinking about how I can “share” the day with him via cyberspace by blogging about the impact he has had on my life, and thought I would jot down a few things that come to mind that I am thankful for. My father does not have a computer and he has never been on the Internet, but if you will indulge me, there may be something of value in this for you as well.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for the Dodge Dart. At the time, I was 18 and a sophomore in college. At first, I did not “love” that car, but I did love the way you dropped it off for me while I was working at my part-time job at KFC. You brought the keys inside to tell me it was mine.
It wasn’t a Camaro or a Firebird or any other cool sports cars that other kids had, but it was a safe car that ran well and would get me to campus for class every day. And you bought it for me. With all the expenses we had in our household, you got me a car of my own, and I know that was a sacrifice you made.
Thank you for showing me how to check the oil in it, and how to not flood the engine when it wouldn’t turn over, by sticking a screwdriver in the carburetor. (Or whatever that was.) I know the lesson you were conveying was one of being independent. You did not differentiate between your sons and your daughters in this way; you taught us all how to take care of ourselves, and to do it in the most economical way possible. That was the added bonus lesson of “don’t waste anything.”
Thank you for helping me when I ran out of gas at the bottom of Route 188 when I was in my 20s. Even though you grumbled the whole time and had to walk all the way down the hill with me to figure out I was out of gas, you didn’t leave me hanging. You helped me.
Thank you for leaving your homemade soup in my apartment refrigerator when I was struggling to live on my own and for making me laugh at the way you intentionally labeled it in masking tape that read: “Pee Soup.” Your sense of humor is something you handed down to each and every one of your kids. We are largely good-natured, compassionate and caring people because of you.
Thank you for pushing me to get a good education so I could have career opportunities to contribute to the building of a good life for myself one day. I know you are still waiting for me to get this next degree, and Dad, I am trying. You are one of my biggest motivations to succeed, because I know how proud of me you are.
Today, I am one of the lucky people who can still wish my father a Happy Father’s Day. He is nearly 81 years old, still in relatively good health and getting around on his own, and still living in the house he built for our family almost 50 years ago. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I know I have been blessed to have a father who took his role seriously.
What did you learn from your father? What memory stands out that you cherish?
Copyright 2011 by Marianne V. Heffernan
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