Were he still alive on this earth, my dad would be celebrating his 100th birthday on the last day of this month. Sadly, I only knew him for the first 21 years of my life before God called His faithful servant home. I’ve missed knowing him as an adult, missed benefitting from his wisdom, missed seeing his smile and hugging him goodnight before going to bed.
He was a quiet, gentle man, much loved by everyone who knew him. His position as director of a Bible camp meant that we rarely took family vacations. In fact, I remember only one, other than the times we visited grandparents. Summers and winter weekends were busy camp times when he needed to be at work, but lucky for us, we lived on the camp property and could see him anytime we wanted.
I wasn’t the kind of kid to indulge in heart-to-heart talks with my parents. So I can’t say I enjoyed a particularly close relationship with Dad. But if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share some favorite memories.
I remember:
Sitting on his lap while he read the Sunday comics to me.
Vying with my little brothers to hold his good hand. (His left wrist was bent and his hand claw-like due to an accident when he was a boy.)
The way he’d occasionally suck in his belly and strut up the hallway in a “wife-beater” undershirt, holding a muscleman pose with his arms
A battle of the wills when I wanted to take a year off school before finishing my undergraduate work. (Circumstances gave him the win, for which I’m very thankful!)
Learning he’d made it to my first ever band concert when the rest of the family couldn’t be there
His stories at the supper table that we never realized were jokes until he got to the punchline
His patient care for the less fortunate
His love for children of all ages
Watching him carry buckets of water up from the lake to keep the toilets functioning when the camp’s pump broke and we had over 200 campers
Getting to know him by watching and listening to his interactions with other members of the camp staff
Helping him serve hot chocolate and warm sweet rolls to arriving campers on cold winter Friday nights
His faith and trust in God when the work into which he’d poured his life dismissed him
His refusal to say anything bad about anyone involved in that decision
His patience, kindness, and unfailing love that demonstrated to us what our Heavenly Father must be like
Happy birthday, Dad. Still miss you.
