Today is Daddy's 73rd birthday. In November, he was in such very bad health, we didn't know if he would make it through the end of the year, so I didn't wait to give him a Christmas present. I wanted to do something different, something that would live on for a long time. At the beginning of December, I went to the National Arbor Day Foundation and ordered something special for him, something that would live on and help sustain new life as well. In "honor of Harvey Goodwin Smith" and his "72 years of life on this planet!", his "one-and-only, ever-lovin' daughter" had seventy-two young trees planted in a national forest (in Michigan), trees needed for nesting by endangered birds. (You, too, can honor a loved one by visiting the site http://arborday.org/join/tictim/index.cfm .) I received the certificate within a week, framed it, and made a special trip to deliver the gift to him. And I've been making special trips to Beaufort almost every week since.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Today is my father's 73rd birthday. I went to Beaufort to have dinner with him and the family, in honor of the occasion, sans birthday card. So later, as we're about to have cake and he is opening the cards from his sister and his youngest son, I said "I'm sorry, Daddy, but I don't have a birthday card for you." He raised his yellowed face so he could look right at me and said, "Baby, every day that you're alive is a birthday card for me."
I'll never forget those words.
3 comments:
If I could make just two wishes, Faustina, I'd wish I could somehow convey to you the profound depths of my gratitude for every moment of your life.
I'd also wish that you could somehow know of your unimaginable importance, just as you now are, to the lives of so very many.
And, of course, I'd wish for even more wishes... Oh, SHOOT!!
Love,
The Universe
Fred Willard died in May of this year (2020) and for the PFS Wednesday night online movie party, Jim Reed strung together several videos of shows and interviews with the man.
I've just watched one of those videos again.
It reminds me of Daddy's words to me at his birthday party.
In this short video, Fred is being interviewed a few years before his death.
The question was asked about what was his proudest moment.
Something to do with one of his shows?
No.
He told the story of teaching his daughter, who was 12 or 13 at the time, how to catch a pop fly in baseball. He was at one of her games, talking to someone, when he saw a high pop fly heading to right field, her position. As he watched, she did exactly as he had taught her, getting under the ball and lifting her glove... and she caught it. He was so proud to have been part of that, to have been able to teach her that trick.
I finally have left a message for Jim.
"I love this segment, in particular the part about his daughter. I am sure she would be delighted to know that when her dad was asked about his proudest moment, it was all wrapped up in a story about her."
I do hope Jim might be able to share that with Fred's daughter.
This tv 'mercial reminds me of Daddy...
https://beachwalksoffaustina.blogspot.com/2022/10/my-favorite-mercial.html
I'm sure he's chuckling about it.
(smile)
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