Spin the bottle

Yawn, well here is another monday. I spent much of the weekend thinking of my Dad who is not doing so well in the nursing home. He just turned 86 on January 16th and has lived a pretty good life. I was reflecting on my father and what he has taught me over the years.My father taught me:

Good work habits. He owned his own business and from the time I was in high school never once missed a day of work except for the time he had a hernia.

How important it was to care about others. He was always wanting to help someone in any way he could. My mother use to say that if they had all the money my Dad gave away that we would be rich.

Not to complain. Ok, still learning that one. Appreciate what you have as it is always more then what someone else has in life.

I never once heard him speak about his time in the service, but he did teach me to respect this country and those that served and gave their life for our freedom.

He would tell me that experience always comes before wisdom and not the other way around.

He never judged anyone. Everyone he met liked him. I cannot recall anyone ever saying a bad thing about my father. He is a man who taught me the meaning of dignity. Dad has always put everyone before himself.

Most of all he taught me what it meant to really care about and love someone. My father was not perfect at all but he has spent much of the last half of his life making up for some of his mistakes. He is a man of a few words. My Mom and Dad are great examples of what a marriage is about. Here in the later years it's not about anything materialistic. They just want to be together, period. I wish they could live forever, and in my heart they always will. I sat with them sunday as my Dad slowly reached for my mothers hand. He was to weak to get out of bed and my mom sat there holding his hand for 2 hours. I watched as she said goodbye raising ever so slowly out of her will chair determined to give him a kiss goodbye.

I was a kid in elementry school once and told my mom about some of us playing spin the bottle and you had to kiss the person it pointed at. She in her scolding voice told me that kisses are only for people you love.

Kisses to you both, love David.