Another Year Bites the Dust
First of all, I’m humbled by all the birthday pings and dings my phone is miming. I feel the love! I haven’t written a blog in a bit. Being busy and trying to do it all definitely derails me on things I’d like to keep consistent. But I’m nothing if not consistently trying to be consistent, so here we are… are you still with me?
There’s nothing like a deadline to perk up my drive to complete a procrastinated task. I’ve wanted to start another blog for awhile but getting my butt in the chair to do it is a huge feat! I was having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to write about until it hit me early this morning. This is my second birthday without my birthday buddy, my dad. What better way to honor him than to tell you about the man that raised me and the influence he had on my life.
I was talking about my parents at a show recently, sharing what songs I think of when I think of them. For my mother its “Leaving on a Jet Plane”. For my dad it’s “My Way”. I’ll talk more about my mom’s influence on me at a later date. For now, I want to talk about my dad, and how the way he chose to live his life impacted me.
I was born in Woodhaven, Michigan on my dad’s 42nd birthday. He said I was the best birthday present he ever received. He was a gift himself for sure. I spent 38 consecutive years sharing that day with him. He passed away 2 days before my 39th birthday and what would have been his 81st.
My dad loved many things: golf, boats, fishing, the ocean, food, and music. Any chance he got when we were young, he’d load us in a camper and take us on trips to Florida. We’d stay at KOA’s along the way. He’d make dinner and we’d play and find shark teeth. He’d stop at landmarks and sing. One of his favorites was “Ol’ Swanee River” in his boisterous opera voice, embarrassing me and my brothers. It was his dream to move to Florida, and fish. He moved us to Fort Pierce, Florida when I was 10 years old.
When my father wanted to learn something, he dove in head first and completely saturated himself in it until he was confident. When he wanted to do something, he did it. He taught himself small engine and fiberglass hull repair by reading library books. I remember when his passion turned to cooking. Oh the first meals were memorable.. ya know, in the way that gives you shutters. But he kept learning and man did he turn out to be a great cook. He taught me how to look in my fridge and create a masterpiece from what I had on hand.
He taught me to question everything, and to always dig a little deeper. He showed me how to find the resources that will bring me the outcome I desire for whatever I’m looking to achieve. He was a very resourceful man. He taught me to look inward because that was where it all starts. He taught me faith and to trust in the Lord. He taught me how to pray and that God will lead me if I am courageous enough to follow. Leaps of faith take great courage.
He taught me to be my own boss, and to pave my own way. That when I make a decision, I have to be okay with living with the outcome of that decision. In his own way, he taught me patience, love, and kindness, and how to have a discernment. He taught me about health and nutrition and to always look for the natural way first.
He was who he was. Good luck trying to change anything about him. I might have gotten a little stubbornness from him as well. Just a smidge. He LOVED music and I remember he always had on either oldies or blues. Karen Carpenter and Linda Ronstadt were among his favorites. He loved the Ronnettes and BB King. Anything blues brothers and Gloria Estefan. I remember seeing him cooking in the kitchen every night singing and dancing wearing an apron and a huge grin. He cooked 3 square meals a day, always like it was a holiday. Music blaring, sometimes talk radio. But dinner was always done up a little more special. He loved movies too. Every night was a movie night.
We would take trips on his motorcycle and watch blues type bands play. Archies in Fort Pierce back in the day (late 90’s early 2000’s) was his favorite place to watch a band and play some pool. He was a single dad doing the best he could with what he had. I share so much more than a birthday with the man that raised me.
