It’s another,
hot, sunny day.
Today is,
Father’s day.
I often forget it’s,
Father’s day,
my dad’s been gone,
a long time,
fifteen years,
wow,
sneaks up,
on you.
He was never the most,
conventional,
of dads,
no pipes and ties,
for him.
He was an original,
my dad.
An iconoclast,
part hippie,
part wiseguy,
he could charm,
the birds out of trees,
and,
cats off porches.
He was a man’s man,
and,
a ladies man.
He was full of curiosity,
and,
smarts,
and,
he was a tortured,
flawed man.
Possessing,
the best of traits,
and,
the worst,
he loved us,
mom and I,
but,
like all love,
it’s was sometimes,
painful.
I miss him,
but,
I know,
he’s in a better place.
I look like him,
always have,
I inherited,
his dark hair,
and,
early silver onset,
I have his booming laugh,
I have some of his charm,
not all of it,
his was kind of,
boundless,
I have his short fuse,
not as short,
I’m more tempered,
maybe,
it’s a girl thing:-)
I inherited,
his big belly,
and,
high blood pressure.
He taught me,
the world was a hard place,
and,
you had to be on your guard,
but,
also to trust yourself,
and,
other people.
Most people weren’t bad,
many of them,
not too bright,
and,
that it wasn’t because,
you were smart,
that you should be,
a smart ass.
He taught me,
to question,
everything,
except,
what was,
right,
and right,
wasn’t necessarilly,
conventional,
or common.
He was hard to take,
but,
wonderful to know,
and,
eventhough,
he could chew you out,
drive you nuts,
you knew,
he was on your side.
He was misunderstood,
he had such,
contradictions,
but,
he was loved,
and,
remains so.
Happy Father’s Day,
to my ole man,
Jim.
Later girls,
BB
Thank you for writing that. I think about my Dad a lot but recently it hasn’t been in that special way, on a special day. You woke me up.
You’re welcome. My ole man was a tough one, but, as the years since his passing have accumulated, I realise what an important influence he had and how powerful it still is, everyday, and not only in a genetic way. Dads:-)