Today, for Father's Day, my brother and I took our father out for lunch. It was a rare opportunity for the three of us to spend some time together. I guess the only real difference between my relationship with my father and my brother's relationship with him is the names we call him — I call him "Dad," and my brother calls him "Pops."
I don't want to dwell on the subject too long. I'm grateful to have both my brother and my father in my life, and I hope they'll both be around awhile longer.
I have no reason to think that they won't — but I know anything can happen at any time.
For some reason, lately I've been thinking about a time in the weeks after my mother's death in 1995 when I was having a conversation with my father. He had been temporarily disabled in the flash flood that took my mother's life, and he was experiencing one of the mood swings he went through that summer. I told him how important he was to my brother and me.
And then, I remember telling him that I wasn't ready to lose both of my parents.
Well, here I am, nearly 15 years later. I got caught in the economic meltdown last fall, and I've been unemployed ever since. And you know what? I'm still not ready to be without both my parents. I've missed my mother terribly since losing my job. I can only imagine how much more of an ordeal this would have been if I hadn't had my father. He's kept me grounded and focused as I've tried to find an answer. Answers are elusive these days, but I can't imagine them being any easier to come by if he were not around.
So I'm glad the three of us had lunch together today. And I hope, if your father is living, you were able to spend some time with him.
2 comments:
I lost my dad almost a year ago. I still think of him daily. When he departed my brothers and I more or less disconnected rather than becoming more communicative.
If my dad were still alive I would call him everyday and visit him at least once a week. You should relish him all you can.
Heartwarming entry :-)
Keep your chin up and always remember that you are so lucky to have such a supportive family. Money comes and goes, but your relationship with your dad and brother will see you through the toughest times and will never, ever go away.
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