A New Appreciation For My Parents

I grew up in the sixties and seventies with two parents who loved me very much. We never had much money and my parents were strict but they always did their best to teach me the important lessons in life. I don't think I was always willing to learn those lessons gracefully, but I remember them to this day. Unfortunately, my mother passed away in 2002 but I was able to spend quality time with her in the months before her death and I am grateful to have had that opportunity. My father just turned 83 this week and he is a special part of my life. We may live 1500 miles away from each other but we will always have a strong bond.

A few months ago my father called me to say that he wanted to fly down to visit me sometime in February. I was extremely excited because I had been asking him to visit for quite awhile. Traveling is not as easy for Dad as it used to be so I was especially thrilled when he told me he would be arriving for a one-week visit at the beginning of February. At first, I was concerned that we wouldn't have much to do together for an entire week but that changed quickly. I immediately started coming up with ideas of things we could do together. In fact, I knew his birthday fell on the weekend he was going to be here so I started planning a surprise party just for him.

Now, it may seem silly to plan a surprise party for someone who lives so far away but I have some of the best friends in the world. I immediately had a vision of how the party could come together and my friends helped me make it happen. On the day of his birthday, I took him out to lunch at a restaurant owned by a good friend of mine. Thirty of my friends were there, pretending to be patrons out for a nice lunch. He got a menu from the waitress (who happened to be one of my closest friends), opened it up, and saw the flyer inside that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

Dad was shocked. He had a wonderful time. He couldn't believe that these wonderful folks came out to celebrate a birthday with someone they never met before. I cannot thank my friends enough for helping me give my dad such a wonderful party with lots of memories. Dad was a baseball and basketball coach at our local church when I was growing up and one of his players actually came to the party as the final surprise. It was awesome to hear them talk about the games they played back in the 1960's! They remembered everything about those years and Dad was in his glory. In fact, this player told me that he had always considered my father his "Mr. Holland" (from the movie "Mr Holland's Opus). Dad always taught his players about good sportsmanship first and foremost and they always remembered those lessons. I'm so proud of my father.

We did a lot together during the week he was here. We went to a local hockey game, we watched the Super Bowl together as we were rooting for two different teams, we drove over to the East Coast of Florida to visit friends, and we went out to eat a couple of times just for good measure. I'm sure he went home to rest from his vacation but we really had a great time. As time goes by, I find that I just want to show my appreciation to my father as much as possible. He gave all he had to raise his family and support us the best way he knew how. It was wonderful to be able to take care of him for a week, show him how much I love him, and just spend some good quality time together.

The older I get the more I appreciate what my parents did for me when I was younger. I didn't know how much they sacrificed for me when I was growing up but I know it now. As human beings, we can never be perfect, and I think I expected my parents to be perfect in everything and at all times. I have changed my opinion on that now. So, every chance I get, I will show my appreciation and love for my dad. He has always given to others. Now it's my turn to give to him. Love you Dad!