August 17
Were he still alive, today would be my dad's 96th birthday. He died in June 2004, two months short of his 90th birthday. I miss him but I wouldn't want him back. He spent the last six months of his life in a nursing home which he hated. I don't know if he ever forgave me for helping put him there but my mother couldn't care for him anymore. He was bedridden the last six weeks of his life and I believe lost his will to live.
He loved to fish but neither my brother nor I ever took up the sport (?). I think he had hopes for my son but that didn't materialize either so he and his fishing buddies would head for the lakes and creeks. The problem was they were the same age, suffered the same physical ailments and several preceded him in death. He used to say he outlived most of his friends.
My dad taught me a lot of things. The most important was be honest with people with whom you are dealing. Sometimes you have to tell them things they really didn't want to hear but they will respect you for it.
He was a farm boy and used to say that in running his hardware store he'd crawl over two city slickers to get to one rancher. He even bought a horse after he retired.
I miss his sense of humor and his laugh which both my kids learned to imitate.
I miss you, dad, but I think you lived a full life and the last few months weren't the way I wish to remember you.
Happy birthday.