Every November 15th (my dad’s birthday) and May 4th
(the anniversary of my dad’s death), I tend to post a small memory of him. The
post is meant to keep my dad’s memory alive in the minds of my friends and
family. But it is more of a benefit to me in that it prompts a digging in the
mine of my mind to find a hidden gem.
Today’s gem is that on the night before my dad died, I came
home from a friend’s house, and he was watching Roswell – one of our favorites.
So I sat down next to him on the couch, and I clearly remember hugging him in
such a way that I could hear his heartbeat. Then we held hands and watched our
show together.
Short, sweet memory. But I am always surprised at how many
of these treasured moments I have – something new to share 2 times a year for
13 years now. And what I love most is that dad gave me such fun things that
remind me of him. Roswell is not an amazing show, but it was entertaining. It
was one of the many introductions to sci-fi that would later help me appreciate
my sci-fi loving husband. And to me, Roswell is almost sacred. It is a small
connection to the relationship I shared with my dad.
This memory inspires me to create fun moments with my
children, and to savor them. Savoring is a big theme for me lately. I have been
studying Ecclesiastes in my Bible study this month, and we studied it at church
last summer. At first I dreaded this book because it seemed depressingly
“meaningless." But what I eventually took away from these studies is
that God wants me to be happy with what I’ve got – to enjoy life.
I am so grateful that God put people in my life who remind
me to lighten up. My dad loved to travel, loved to meet new people. He never
met a stranger. He loved to tell stories. He made things fun. I tend to be
serious, too serious. But God gave me a fun dad.
And thinking about this has made me realize how much joy I
have in my life because my husband is fun… and funny. Most people think that a
pastor should be serious, but then they meet Glyn. He is part theological
teacher, part comedian. And I love him. He is smart AND compassionate. And he
makes learning interesting and applicable. He approaches a discussion with an
open mind, listening, not just waiting to present his case. He honors the other
person. He reminds me of my dad.
