With Dad's 80th birthday this year, I knew I
wanted to write a tribute of some sort for him, so I made a simple prayer
asking God to send me the words. As many of you will know, I have spent a lot
of time writing the last few years, and as has often been the case many times
in the past, God delivered the words… but for this occasion, he gave me just
three—Man, Myth, and Legend.
Dad—The Man
I would like to tell you a little bit about Dad who was born
the fifth child in large homesteading family in 1936. I would like to tell you
that, as a boy, he was the same mischievous, hard-working person we know him to
be today, but, let's face it, I have no idea because that stuff all happened
before I was born. And, I'm sure any of his siblings would more equipped to
provide information of that sort, So I’ll leave that to them.
Anyway, as Dad is fond of saying, “Your parents don't raise
you, your kids do.” so, instead, I'll tell you a little bit about “The Man”
I had a hand in raising. And Dad, “The Man” I have known for the last 35
years, I can only think to sum up in three simple values…
1. Hard work – I remember going for a run one day down
correction line road, as I did many times. Dad was already living in town by
this point, and I see the old Brown Ford dusting down the road, and I know I'm
in trouble. Now some parents, other parents, might have been proud to see their
daughter taking an interest in her health, getting out for some fresh air and
exercise, but not MY Dad. The truck pulls up, “Get in,” he says, “there's
strawberries that need picking.”
Anyone who has known Dad for longer than 10 minutes can
attest to his tireless work ethic, if that's what one calls 80 years of
devotion and long hours of farming, gardening, fixing, finishing, building, and
raising a family, community, church, and so on.
Well, to this day, Dad has not actually succeeded in
thwarting mine or any of his kid’s obsessions with physical exercise, but as
I've grown older, I have really come to appreciate Dad's dedication to hard
work. Which brings me to the second value that Dad, the 'Man' embodies...and
that is
2. Generosity – All of Dad's hard work is not for naught.
The fruits of 80 years worth of labour are rich and plentiful. You may ask what
one does with such abundance… Well, they share it of course! Whether you’re his
daughter receiving a trunk full of produce, or the Friendship Inn intaking
enough garden potatoes to feed a small army, or whether you are the church
basket or the new guy in town, or a stranger needing a hand with some household
task, or a community member or one of the many others that I suspect no one
will ever know about, we have all been on the receiving end of Dad's
generousity and selflessness—A truly 'divine' quality.
3. Faith – What does my humble Dad or any of us for that
matter know of faith? Well, have 16 children who you intend to raise on a
farming income, and you will know faith--Faith in God's providence, Faith in
the goodness of family and love, And Faith in sacrificing for others. I think I
speak for all of Dad's children when I say that the gift of faith in a God that
loves his children through anything this life has to throw at us and no matter
where we roam or stray is the greatest gift anyone of us could hope to receive.
Dad- The Myth
Well, if you’ve lived 80 years and there isn’t a myth or two
circulating about you, you’re probably doing something wrong, so I’m here to
dispel a few.
Myth: With all those kids and a big farm to run, Dad didn’t
have time for much else.
Fact: This is simply not true, and if you don’t believe me,
just ask the Knights of Columbus, the Pro-Life Association, the local priest,
or any newcomer to town if Dad doesn’t have time…
Myth: Dad was once caught throwing out a piece of rotting
fruit at the Eastgate mall
Fact: The local Co-op stocks ‘cooking bananas’ just for Dad
and in his 80 years not a single piece of fruit, ripe or otherwise, has gone to
waste under his vigilant watch. Just as a side story, I remember walking in
front of Grandma’s one day, and stepping over a little package or saran wrapped
watermelon, complete with ants and such. Later, I was at Dad’s and he brings
out a little plate of watermelon which I am eagerly tucking into, when he says,
“Do you know where I got that?”
Myth: Years of hard-work, farming struggles, and difficult
trials have left Dad a hardened man--stoic, and with opinions that are stuck in
stone.
Fact: Dad unfailingly treats anyone he meets with kindness
and compassion. When new people come into his life, Dad embodies the most true
and pure definition of ‘acceptance’ I have ever witnessed—acceptance of
different faiths, different nationalities, different walks of life, and
different values. For me personally, this is one his most unique and proudest
characteristics.
Dad—The Legend
Dad is a legend for two reasons:
- I’ve never met anyone like
him – The world over, I’ve truly never met anyone like my Dad. Dad does
not wait for good to happen. He doesn’t cast his vote and wait for
politics to achieve some distant goal. He doesn’t utter things like,
“Someone needs to cut those ditches,” and then wait for Ted Gartner to do
it. I’ll bet the shirt on my back that he isn’t active in ‘awareness’
campaigns or frequenting benefit banquets for newcomers to Canada. No. The
banquet is in his home, THEIR home, literally. If he is ‘aware’ of some
problem, some good that needs doing, Dad does it himself. He cuts the
ditches, he and Rita grow food, prepare it, and share it on a near daily
basis. He changes the church light bulb himself, addresses the golf-course
litter problem personally, and he lends his tools, his time, even his cars
without blinking an eye, even when those items occasionally return from,
say, Edmonton a little worse for wear. It may seem a simple quality, but
can you imagine how different the world would be if more people approached
things this way?
- He is an inspiration – For
all the reasons I’ve talked about—generousity, hard-work, faithfulness,
compassion, acceptance, and for any other reasons anyone else has in their
hearts, I’m sure we can all agree Dad has inspired each of us in our own
ways. I see little pieces of you, Dad, in all of us. Like Jesus, you are
and will be a gift that keeps giving. Happy birthday and more to come.
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