three score and ten

My Dad recently celebrated his 70th birthday... twice.  Because of my Dad's cancer and chemo treatments, he has been left with a pretty weak immune system.  Therefore, we try to avoid being around him if we have any kind of an illness, even just a common cold.  It's pretty hard to get two sons, two daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren healthy and together at the same time.

We had a celebration planned for the weekend of his birthday, but part of my family was sick, so only my brother's family was there.  A few weeks later, my sister-in-law was out of town for a conference, and my brother brought his kids and his camper to my parent's house for an overnight backyard campout.  Since my family was healthy at the time, we turned it into a second birthday celebration.  I brought my tent and spent the night with my three older kids.

My Dad and I are alike in a lot of ways. Among them, is that we are both sentimental and emotional people. That's a nice way of saying we are crying men: weddings, births, funerals, Hallmark movies... we've been there, done that, have the hankie to prove it! And yet I (and I think Dad would feel the same) sometimes have a difficult time putting my emotions into words. I love my parents, but I hate buying cards and struggle to write a meaningful sentiment in them. I have no problem hugging my Dad's neck and telling him I love him, but I sometimes struggle to get any deeper, emotionally, than that. 

For some reason, though, my blog seems like a very comfortable medium to allow myself some vulnerability and emotional openness.  So, in honor of 70 years, here's a few things I appreciate about my Dad, that me and Father's Day and birthday cards struggle to express:

Two things I learned from my Dad are the value of hard work and family.

Raised a southern Ohio farm boy, my Dad is a worker and a fixer. He always has been and he always will be, though currently his age and health do not permit him to do as much as he would like. That doesn't keep him from trying, however, to the frustration of my Mom.

My Dad has held four different jobs his entire life. Four. I have had four in just the past three years! A high school graduate and a graduate of a technical school auto mechanics program, my Dad made a good living fixing things. He retired from a maintenance position, at the General Motors Corporation, just over a decade ago.  My Dad was well-liked by his co-workers and supervisors, and he believes in giving an employer a good day's work for a good day's pay.

One could assume that a hard worker translates to a workaholic. Au contraire. My Dad maintains the opinion that if the wages are relatively comfortable, 40 hours per week is enough to give to one's employer... the rest belongs to home and family.

At home, or with his family, is where he has always preferred to be. He is a hard worker around the house, and he especially loves working outdoors in the yard, or cutting firewood in the woods.  Growing up, he often expected my brother and I to pitch in and help.  I often balked at helping out, but now I appreciate him instilling a work ethic in me... one I am trying to pass on to my children... who often balk at helping out.

Dad has always been great at balancing work with play.  I can't ever remember a summer without at least one week, often two weeks, of vacation travel.  He coaxed my Mom to purchase a brand-new 1973 Four Seasons motorhome, and my brother and I grew up travelling and camping during the summers.  We visited a lot of neat places and my favorite childhood memories involve bicycles, campfires, family times and that 1973 motorhome.

I appreciate you, Dad!  Happy 70th birthday!

Here are photos from birthday weekend #2:

70 candles!

One big puff gets... 69 of 'em!

Happy Birthday Dad!

two Granddaughters sharing Grandpa's lap

And, here are a few photos (from Mom's camera, since I wasn't there) of birthday weekend #1:

Dad's favorite cake is my Mom's coffee cake.  You can see from the picture that he felt that 70 years entitled him to help himself to a pre-gathering sliver (snuck while Mom wasn't looking!) while the cake was still warm!

my niece and nephew

Dad's backyard fire pit