Happy Birthday Dad!

This man is 86 years old today.

(with Scott and Heidi in 1965)

I have great love and respect for this man.

While we are young do we ever really know our parents as people? 

Growing up he was always working.
He'd come home at 5:30, eat his dinner, then drop Alka Seltzer in his cup of water 
and sip it while reading the evening paper. 
My Mom would often tell me she thought he had a headache.

Then it was back again out the door selling more insurance until about 9pm.
After all, he had 10 people to support. 

And never did I think much about it at the time.

For the past several years Dad has been in a wheel chair.
This man who once broke the world's record in his age division for the 24 hour race.
This man who ran 37 marathons....17 of them in Boston.

Yet now the days must be long and painful for him but he never mentions that.

I believe as a little boy, my Dad would have been like this toddler my mom wrote about in 1994.
That was the year Mom and Dad served in the church Nursery together.

"I want to share what one little boy taught us a few weeks ago. 
Richard Hamm began coming to nursery about a month ago 
with his Dad. Two weeks ago his father got him settled and 
decided to see how he would do without him. Af first he was 
fine and then when he noticed his dad was gone he began to cry. 
Dick picked him up and held him on his lap but he continued to 
cry. Before his dad came back to check on him we began 
announcing that was time to put the toys away. Richard slid off 
Dick's lap and began picking up toys and putting them in the 
cupboard. All the time he kept crying, working, crying some 
more. That little boy taught us a lot about courage. He knew 
what he should do and although his little heart was breaking he 
did it.  When times get tough in your life remember little 
Richard. It's ok to cry, but don't stop doing what you know is 
right even if it's hard."



Btw, would anyone happen to know that Richard Hamm in the story above? 
I think he must be about 24 now. I'd love to give him this story about what he was like as a little boy. 


4 comments:

Karen Mortensen said...

What a sweet story. Happy Birthday to your dad.

Unknown said...

Bravo!! Lucky children we are!!

:) Robin

Richard said...

Robin writes under Mac's byline and speaks like Yoda, but she's right...we were and are very lucky children.

Richard

Susan Anderson said...

Hope he had a wonderful birthday celebration! He must be a very special man.

=)

Look what happened last night

  Just a little pre-graduating gathering for our DIL Amy.... Not everyday a Mom of 7 and a Grandma of 7, graduates from college. It was not ...