Today is His Birthday

Today is my dad's birthday.  He would have been 82 years old today.  When we lost him 5 years ago I made a decision that I would not be sad on his birthday, instead, I would remember him and be grateful for the day he was born.  And I am grateful...but I have to say that I think about him and miss him every single day.  Not in a "woe is me" sort of way, but in a "dad would have loved that!" sort of way.  There were so many things that he loved and got a kick out of.

There were so many pictures that I had wanted to share in this post, then I realized that I could never decide on which ones were the most important...because they are all important to me.  So I decided to share just a glimpse of the man I called dad.  He was a well loved only child.  A lot of the pictures of him include an animal of some sort...a lamb, a dog, a horse, his cows.  Could there be a sweeter picture than this?

My dad was a very handsome young man, but he was also one of the most humble people I've ever known. A great judge of character with an insightful and very quick wit...he called it as he saw it and he saw a lot.  He didn't have much time for braggarts or people that wouldn't carry their share of the load.

My dad wasn't the type that taught by preaching, but he sure did teach by example.  He showed me that love and respect go hand in hand, that an honest days work meant more than a big paycheck, that there is a special kind of peace that can be found working on the land.

This picture was taken the week before he died.  Checking the moisture content in his soybeans. Working as always, enjoying his day.  Autumn, harvest time, the time of year that I always associate with my dad.

There is one bit of advice that my dad shared with me when I graduated from Mechanical Design school and was starting out with my first real job.  He said, "Always focus on what you are doing and enjoy it.  Too many people spend their days waiting for the next break, their coffee break, their lunch break. You just end up spending your life waiting for what's next instead of appreciating where you are."  Wise words from the hardest working person I've ever known.

Today is his birthday.  I won't be sad.  I'll celebrate him and all that he meant to me....and what he meant to me is more than words can say.

And on that note I'll end.  There's work to do today...I'd better get at it.  Happy Birthday Dad...I love you!
Make it a good day...thanks for stopping by.