Father's Day
Sun 19 Jun 2011 Filed in: My Life
Memories are good things. This Father’s Day the memories come in layers like an onion, and my mind stretches to wrap itself around all of the layers.
My father was a godly man. For 43 years I enjoyed the blessings of his love, his counsel, his friendship, his wisdom. He was a gentle man, but he was fiercely courageous as well, courageous enough to move his family half way around the world - for their benefit rather than for his. It’s been 23 years since he suffered a heart attack and died in Scotland at the tail end of a 50th wedding anniversary trip. I’m sifting through 43 years of memories today, and they are good.
Along the way 38 years ago, I was blessed to become a father, first to Matt and then to Suzanne. As every parent knows, it is a life-changing adventure. It was on Father’s Day last year that we received the shocking news of Matt’s passing. He never became a biological father, but he filled that role spiritually in the lives of dozens of young people to whom he ministered. I’m sifting through 37 years of memories today, and they are good.
I am still blessed to be a dad. My wise, thoughtful, and tender-hearted daughter still lets me fill that role. We’d planned to celebrate Father’s Day today, but a nasty head cold (hers, not mine) has delayed the celebration, so we’ll make some memories later this week. Part of the blessing of being dad is that I still get to create memories with Suzanne (see, for example, the travel blog). Not only am I sifting through 33 years of memories today, I’m looking forward to adding to them, and they are good.
Memories - all of the layers - are good things.
My father was a godly man. For 43 years I enjoyed the blessings of his love, his counsel, his friendship, his wisdom. He was a gentle man, but he was fiercely courageous as well, courageous enough to move his family half way around the world - for their benefit rather than for his. It’s been 23 years since he suffered a heart attack and died in Scotland at the tail end of a 50th wedding anniversary trip. I’m sifting through 43 years of memories today, and they are good.
Along the way 38 years ago, I was blessed to become a father, first to Matt and then to Suzanne. As every parent knows, it is a life-changing adventure. It was on Father’s Day last year that we received the shocking news of Matt’s passing. He never became a biological father, but he filled that role spiritually in the lives of dozens of young people to whom he ministered. I’m sifting through 37 years of memories today, and they are good.
I am still blessed to be a dad. My wise, thoughtful, and tender-hearted daughter still lets me fill that role. We’d planned to celebrate Father’s Day today, but a nasty head cold (hers, not mine) has delayed the celebration, so we’ll make some memories later this week. Part of the blessing of being dad is that I still get to create memories with Suzanne (see, for example, the travel blog). Not only am I sifting through 33 years of memories today, I’m looking forward to adding to them, and they are good.
Memories - all of the layers - are good things.
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