Fathers' Day

Watching the tribute to Tim Russert on Meet the Press this morning left me in tears...the love he had and expressed for both his father and son were immense.

It got me to thinking about my dad who died 43 years ago when I was 19 at age 53. I'm one of the lucky and fortunate ones who had a wonderful dad. Doesn't it seem we hear so much more about the distant, absent or abusive ones?

My dad was not someone anyone would necessarily pick out of a crowd unless they noticed the man in the center of a crowd of women of all ages. He had a quiet warmth, a ready funny story -- there was always laughter around him -- but most importantly to those women, he knew how to fix the clips on the back of their earrings so they didn't hurt! When the ladies knew my dad would be with Mom at a PTA function, he was the man of the evening!

He was a man who loved words, wrote beautiful letters, and loved reading for the sheer pleasure of hearing the words...and the cartoons in the Saturday Evening Post. Maybe it wasn't such a stretch that he was a lettering artist. I never made that connection before...remember how doctors' offices had their names on the glass in black letters? My dad could do that. Our picture window was decorated for Halloween and Christmas with my dad's scenes and we were the envy of the neighborhood.

So many memories flood today. How wonderful that they all bring a smile.

I hope thoughts of your dad bring a smile to your face too. If so, please click on comment and share them.

Happy Fathers' Day.