So, with no warning, a series of events regarding my grief about my dad unfolded.
First, this eulogy/obit came out on paper:
John __, my dad, was raised as one of seven boys by Robert ____, a
poor farmer, and Mary ____, a schoolteacher. He and his family lived
through the depression and dust bowl years in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The story I heard was that Robert, my grandfather, was constantly looking for
greener grass at time when there was no such thing, thus the constant uprooting
and poverty.
Dad joined the navy in World War II and was a radio technician on the
submarine, Cero. He traveled the South Pacific - New Guinea and
Australia.
After the war, Dad met Cleo ___. They married and started a
television/radio sales and service shop in a Kansas town of about 40,000
people.
Four years after their marriage, their darling daughter was born.
:-) Two years later, they were blessed with a son.
Dad worked long, hard hours at the shop. Mom helped with the office
work, and my brother and I spent a good amount of our days at there watching
television or entertaining ourselves in other ways, most of which didn't cause
too much damage.
In 1968, our family moved to Colorado. When we first arrived, Dad went
door to door to motels and hotels to see if they needed a television repairperson.
From that initial investment, he drummed up a nice-sized clientele.
Our family took two unforgettable vacations while I was growing up. In
the mid-sixties we drove to New York, Canada, D.C., and Nantucket. Later,
in the early seventies, we drove west to the San Francisco area. In
addition to those great adventures, we also traveled to Colorado a few times,
staying at my great-aunt's mountain cabin.
Dad was a good man. Kind. Patient. I was not an easy child
for him much of the time and I don't think that I ever thanked him for working
so hard so that I could have all that I needed. I don't think I thanked
him for those vacations or for the times he worried about me. I hope I
made up for it somewhat by growing up into a good person and raising two great
kids. I hope I took on his kindness and patience as a base to grow
from.
Thank you, Dad, for all you did for me. Thank you for the numerous things
you fixed for me, for calming me when I worried. I will miss you.
And remember the line you told me so many times when I would get worked up
about something - a line you attributed to some man in the navy with you:
"It don't make no difference no how."
Dad, you made a difference.
Dad, you made a difference.
