Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Fathers In My Life

...they're also "daddies"!

We've all seen the greeting cards that say "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy". That pretty much sums up the fathers in my life.

My two sons, Adam and Ian, make me proud when I see the way they've "manned up" to take care of home and family. Adam and Heather have two sons, Aidan and Alexander. Ian and Alyssa have one son, Liam, with another boy on the way by November.

Then there's one of the most amazing men in the world: my own father. He & mom raised three kids, got all three of us through college, and they shared more than 50 years together before mom's death in 1998. He now lives an active life at his home on the shores of Willow Lake in rural Van Zandt County.

Dad planned well for his retirement, and I don't just mean the financial aspect. He thought about what activities would suit him and how he'd spend his time. He also took good care of himself, and at almost 85 years old he can work rings around me when I go to the lake to help out.
The picture is, I think, Dad's high school picture, or maybe just before he went into the Army in the mid-1940's.

Losing his spouse in 1998 was a definite unplanned setback, but he's adjusted well and has done things he probably wouldn't have learned otherwise, such as how to use a computer, send email, program his flat screen tv, and even use a TIVO! Previously, his old VHS player just flashed "12:00" all the time.

Happy father's day, dad. I love you.

Blessings,
Ken

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