Dad

Dad would have been 86 today. I would love to be able to wish him happy birthday.

He passed away eleven years ago. It seems like it was yesterday. I still feel the pain and the numbness. The fog that overcame me took months to leave.

Dad was a little different from most men of his time. For some reason, he thought it was important that his girls learn to play golf, to fly fish, to camp, to ride horses. So Katie and I began playing golf at 8 years old, far before it became fashionable. We learned to fly fish and still love it, though I was never a fan of taking fish off the hook. Relaxing on the stream while casting a fly is something that makes me smile. He took us to the wilderness several times, and the adventures we had there still keep us laughing when we get together. Most girls at that time learned more domestic things, but not us.

Men of Dad's era generally had chauvinistic tendencies, but when Dad saw that his daughters were negatively impacted by people with the same beliefs, he changed. He began to treat the people in his office differently, even promoting several women to positions unachievable before. He always tried to do what was right, and honesty was most important to him. He hated cheating - whether it was on the golf course or in business - and he wouldn't tolerate cheating in his business or at home.

When I went away to college, Dad had begun to learn to play the piano. I wish I could have been there when he held his recital. He invited his friends to our home, and he played several rather difficult pieces. I guess it was a funny night, but I admire him for putting himself out there like that. I am not brave enough to do such a thing.

When he died, most people said that the one thing they will always remember about Dad was what a nice man he was, honest in his dealing with people. And they are right.