On Father's day this year we had a friend over for dinner. His wife and son were out of town so we invited him over. We ended up having a really great discussion about our dads, his father also died at a young age. Our friend is the oldest in his family, most of his siblings were under age 10 when his dad died so he felt a responsibility to preserve memories for his younger siblings. He started a blog so his family could have a place to record memories of their dad/husband. I thought it was a great idea and felt inspired to do the same. It seems like an overwhelming task, but I realize I'm not getting any younger and will probably start forgetting more and more.
Now that Lucy is getting a little bit older, I've tried to figure out how in the world I begin to describe what her Grandpa Steve was like. Because he was larger than life, it would take a lifetime of hearing stories to begin to fully paint the picture. I want her, and the rest of our children someday, to have a place to go to read different memories we have of Dad. I know Jake would appreciate hearing these stories too.
The memories don't have to be long or complete, but provide as much detail as you can. Give each memory its own blog post and as feel free to update as often as you'd like. Let's start with our family, then I'd like to extend it to other family members/friends so they can also contribute.
I hope this will become a treasured family keepsake and I hope we'll frequently visit this blog to be reminded of how much Dad loved all of us and what a unique person he was.
I love you all!
OOOOOOO this is a cool thing goin on right here. This website is, rad! ( nice Chels, NICE! ha for real ) Being able to hear everyones memories and own personal experiences with the old man himself really is something else. After reading all these I’m just left with an overwhelming sense of appreciation and gratitude for my Dad and feel even more blessed to have him as my father. So thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSince being home and especially this time of year I find myself not being able to get enough of the outdoors from skiing, fishing, biking, and now with the weather all cherry I’m so amped to get out and go camping/backpacking. After my Dad passed away I distinctly remember this sense that I not only was losing my father but all my hobbies as well. Which is kind of a kooky concern. But he was always sharing his passions with me continually teaching me, giving me a deeper and deeper love and respect for the outdoors. It could have been anything and he would have always taken his time to explain to me the importance of each and every step. Even if he was drilling it into my mind getting all nuts and maybe small kind obsessive-compulsive, hah ahhh typical. He just always wanted to make sure I was enjoying whatever we were doing, and enjoy it as much as he was or more. His passions became my passions and they gave me the opportunity to see and experience the world in such unique ways. They gave me new perspectives on life. He’d always take time to enjoy the beauty around him, turning whatever he was doing into an art. I love that about him. Now in my life, I get to feel the closest to him from all that he has shared and taught with me. I get to go out and experience and enjoy the world and still feel like he's teaching me along the way, its pretty cool.
Some other quick things I love about my dad.
His compassion and genuine love for others.
Always enjoying himself and had fun no matter what the situation.
Could still be immature and get away with it.
When he would get mad, its funny now... but wasnt then.
Sense of Humor.
Could be open minded.
The Land Cruiser.
Pit smelling action.
One cool dude.