All the men I love most in this world are born in October, my dad, my husband, my son. That's all three of them in the photo above, taken at my Aunt Winnie's house on New Year's Day 1994. I was seven months pregnant with my daughter.
My dad is not exactly still in this world. He died 15 years ago, and how could he be gone so many years already? But he is still in our stories, the one who always made a way. He was the man who instilled in me that I should always be able to take care of myself, I should educate myself, have a career, I should not depend on a husband or anyone else to take care of me. He is the one flirted shamelessly with my mom until the day he died, giving her rude eyes from his hospital bed, loving her more fiercely and gallantly than all the romantic heroes in all the storybooks in the the world.
He was my silly dad. The boys who came to visit me in high school thought him so serious and scary, which always confused me, because he was the man I could always make laugh, could always play grade school hand games with (have you ever ever ever in your long legged life met a long legged sailor with a long legged wife...), collapsing with laughter when we got through the whole thing flawlessly. He was the man who walked me down the aisle to meet my husband, who was knighted for his work as a judge, who was diagnosed with cancer the same year, who lived eleven years more, long enough to see both my children, to laugh and be silly with my son, who was four when he died, and to rest his head on top of my baby daughter's curly crown, breathing in the blessing of seeing her, too.
This man is the reason I never go too far off course. I hear his voice in my head, coaching us on how to live with integrity, with independence, how to face down battles and make peace with missteps and fear. In temperament, I am like my dad. I am so lucky to have had him, and to have his voice in my memory coaching me even now, to have the vision of his head thrown back in laughter, his eyes squinting with enjoyment.
Happy birthday, Daddy. Today you would have been 89. I'm glad you were ours.
Dads are very special creatures. Flawed like all of us, but very special.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Angella's Dad
Isabel x
Is it really possible that your father and Rebecca's were born on the same day? Happy Birthday daddys.
ReplyDeletebeautiful man.
xo
Isabel, flawed and perfect at the same time, that was my dad, thanks for the birthday wishes!
ReplyDeleteDeirdre, it's sort of fascinating to discover my dad, rebecca's dad, and scott, all born the same day.
And I am glad you were his!
ReplyDeleteHaving wonderful memories is a blessing :)
xo, misha
Aw shit. You've made me cry. I miss having had a daddy so much but then, when I read about how much some women miss their wonderful fathers when they are gone, I do not know which would be worse.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your daddy here today.
oh god. this makes me breathe deep down and slow the way I'm supposed to. I adore you.
ReplyDeletexor
I'm glad that I didn't miss this post.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your wonderful father.
m.
Misha, i am glad I was his, too. thank you, friend.
ReplyDeleteMs. Moon, thank you for appreciating my daddy today. i love you.
Rebecca, i could hardly believe our fathers have the same birthday, and that it is the same day as Scott''s too. Its cosmic in some way. like we're sisters or something! love to you, dear R
Mark, thank you, too!
This is so sweet. What a man your Father was. Happy Birthday Angella's Daddy.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful -- your writing, your memories, your father. Thank you for sharing him with us.
ReplyDeleteLovely photo, lovely memories. You were lucky to have him for a father, and he was lucky to have you for a daughter, too.
ReplyDeleteawww i love this post. this is how i feel about my grandpa
ReplyDeleteDenise, thank you, friend. he was quite something.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thank you for letting me share. love to you.
ellen, from one daughter of a good man to another, yes, yes.
Candice, its just so special to have had such a man in your life.