Happy Birthday Dad!
Woman in the Middle | October 16, 2014October was always a special month in our house because we celebrated two birthdays, my brother’s and my Dad’s. Brother Dear’s has already come and gone but yesterday was my Dad’s birthday. Dad had been gone almost 34 years, impossible as that seems, but I still think of him all the time.
My mom and dad always thought I was wonderful, of course, but in 7th grade I managed to get straight “A”s one semester. I think a light bulb went off over my parent’s heads at that point, a moment when they thought “Hey, this kid may have something.” I always joked that the biggest mistake I ever made were those straight “A”s, and I can tell you it never happened again! Too lazy for my own good in school back then. But the wonderful thing that came from that momentary blip on the report card radar is that my Dad began to have talks with me about my future.
These talks only happened about once a year but they were very special to me. Dad was a great guy, funny, hard working, but not warm and fuzzy, as few men of his generation were. But when we had those talks I had his complete attention. His arm was usually around me, and we talked about what it would take for me to have a successful future. There wasn’t any talk about marriage or motherhood. I am sure he figured that would come on its own. But he made me realize that, in spite of being a woman, I could be whatever I wanted to be.
If anyone happens to be reading this who is younger than, oh, 35 or so, you may wonder why my dad had to make me feel that way. Well, you see, for girls born in the 1960s, going to college let alone planning a career that required a degree, was not a sure thing. So having my dad tell me the world was my oyster was a very big deal.
Even when dad was in his last year or so before he died of cancer, we still had one last talk about my future. I was 18 going on 19 and in college by then. I am so glad he got to see that I went to college. I have had many people who knew my dad tell me that he would have been very proud of me. I like to think so.
My dad was big on me getting a career and going to college too. What a nice memory of your dad!