About Dad's

As I sit here this morning, drinking coffee and thinking about tomorrow, I suddenly miss my dad very much.  It didn't hit me so hard last year - but this year, for some reason, it really is.  I was fortunate, all of us kids were, that we got to spend so much time with him at the end.  Right now, the tears just can't stop flowing and they probably shouldn't.  He was such a wonderful man - handsome and very powerful in his way.  I can still remember his first hugging me as an adult - on the porch step at their new home.... I started with the usual handshake and he said "let's have a hug!"  That was different for him and for me and it was always hugs after that. This is mom and dad in 1991 - Mom is 87 now.

Dad was a strict disciplinarian - I remember how he was with his tools... and there was hell to pay if we didn't put them away after we used them.  I understood that later in life - when I found rusted tools outside that the kids forgot to put away.  He had an appreciation for everything he ever bought, because it was hard earned and there were lots of mouths (7 of us kids) to feed.  He taught us the value of hard honest work and especiallyBimidgi Minnesota with Dick Arndt and my brother Michael - Mike and I planned the trip and drove the old blue Chevy pickup truck - dad and Dick slept in the bed (they had built a cover for it) for most of the trip - we had a great time, then I was off to the Air Force.

I have the happiest of memories of dad, mom, and family.  Mike and I used to mow lawns in the summer, scoop walks and driveways in the winter, and then, in our spare time help dad with his electrical business.  We learned so much.  the girls delivered papers and mowed lawns too.  I think at one time, three of us were delivering papers for the Des Moines Register and Tribune.  Dad would tell us, no matter the weather the paper would get delivered.  If they could get them to Monte, we could get them to our customers homes.  And we did -- snow, sleet, rain, sunshine, whatever -- we did it because we made a commitment to do it and what we committed to, we did.  Dad was always there to fix broken down mower or bicycle - and he taught us to do the same - that is where we all (all of us children) learned the value of a penny, the value of keeping our commitments, and the value of learning everything that we could possibly learn about everything.

Dad loved to bar-b-que and we always had (Tuesday night I think) - bar-b-que.  It was either at home or at the lake, Diamond Lake.  It would be steak or burgers or hot dogs, even frogs legs.  They were great times and nothing took precedence... not even band practice -- mom came to take us away from practice one night, telling the band director that it was family night and "nothing interfers with family night".  I don't think he ever had band practice on Tuesday night again.

When I close my eyes right now, I can see his big toothy smile, his lanky 6' 1" frame - and hear his gentle but very firm tone.  I never once heard dad yell, but I always knew he meant business and was full of love.  I hope I have given my children just a smidgen of what dad gave us.