Memories

Last night as I watched my girls' swimming lessons, I caught a glimpse of an older man. Immediately my heart skipped and a lump formed in my throat. The way the man was dressed, the way he held his head, the jawline, the eyes....it could have been my dad. He looked so much like my dad, I couldn't stop staring through the crowd of parents. I think it was the intensity with which he watched his grandchildren swim. His head bobbed and shifted so he wouldn't miss a thing as other parents moved in front. He was obviously really keen - his eyes sparkled as he watched. Occasionally his grandaughter would wave and he would nod his head in approval. My dad would have been like that. He was fiercely proud of his family....almost to a fault. His grandkids could do no wrong. I know he would have loved Maddie and Chelsea and they would have loved him in return.

I was thinking about him today. Remembering how proud he was when we could show up at the Trail-Rossland Picnic at Bear Creek Park on Father's Day. He would introduce me to all his old buddies. "This is my baby", he would say of me, his 20 something daughter! I think the last one we went to was after he had injured his leg. He was cutting a lawn for a friend as a favor and had a mishap. Typical of my stubborn dad, he decided a trip to the hospital wasn't necessary. So he showed up wounded to my sister's door, wondering if she had any good bandages. Now my sister, a critical care nurse, saw immediately this was no job for her and escorted him to the hospital. He spent about a week there, receiving antibiotics and ended up with a cast. All that to say that the day we met up with him at the annual picnic, he was sporting a "Canucks" cast. I guess he saw the kids casts and wondered if he could have one. The technician consented. I can still picture him sitting there with his Canucks cast. It was a hot day and he was itchy so he had found a long twig he could slip in to his cast and scratch his foot!

I have really good memories of my dad. He was a kid at heart and was a lot of fun to be with. He was spontaneous and generous. I remember a trip to the mall when I was 9 or 10. Out of the blue, he said, "Do you want to get your ears pierced?" Man, I had begged and pleaded for months - my mom always saying" Not yet." I wasn't sure how this would go over when we got home, but I took advantage of the opportunity! I will never know about any conversation or disagreement that went on between them. I'm sure he smoothed it all over! If my dad knew I liked something, he would go to lengths to get it. During my mom's illness and after she died, he gave me porcelain dolls. I loved collecting dolls and I'm sure they weren't easy to find in Yellowknife.

All this outpouring of memories because of a grandfather at the swimming pool.....I'm so thankful to God for the great dad he gave me. He gave me many gifts and passed on the value of love, hard work, generosity and creativity. Thanks dad, for the legacy. I know I didn't say it enough and you went too quickly for me to tell you one last time.....I love you.