I've been stressed all day, stomach chewing away, and no idea why. DH was the first to recognize it was because I needed to call my Dad and wish him (perhaps his last) happy birthday. I argued heavily, no, could not be it.
But I called, we called together, that WONDERFUL supportive DH I have. And, yes, I feel much more relaxed now.
Dad is so down to earth. He accepts dying as just another phase to living. He is so relaxed, calm, happy with his life, enjoying his family. Doctor appointments ON his birthday. And tomorrow, and the next day.
But he's happy. He's proud of his family, not himself. Such an amazing man.
Survival, I've learned that from BOTH my parents, in such different ways.
My mother, always motivated by the mounting bills, the need to have more and succeed and do better. Climbing out of poverty.
My father, the fulcrum balance. The one who made lemonade. Polio as a child...just an inconvience. Grape farm died in a drought...chickens had a disease...moved on to be a school custodian. He's a BRILLIANT mathematician, genius, but life didn't hand him the obvious way to exploit it. Instead, he passed his gifts, and his wisdom, on to his children. Humble, quiet, grounded. My touchstone in life, and now approaching death.
Whatever comes, he's content. While my mother has done a remarkable job striving to pull us out of poverty, he's done an equally remarkable job keeping us centered, grounded, aware of the greater things in life, and the frugal ways of planting a garden, chopping trees for heat in the winter, gleaning after the corporations have taken the best. Just part of living life.
Frugality, poverty, success, wealth, it's all relative to ones mindset. Life's a balance. You get what you get, and use it to the best of your abilities. Life changes, and you adjust.
No married couple agrees on everything, and finances is probably the most sensitive. What I've learned from my family...balance. My parents balance each other. They don't agree, they don't have the same stepping stones to achieving what they want. Yet they arrive there, balanced, grounded, and very real.
Dad's birthday and other lessons of love
July 10th, 2006 at 11:09 pm
6 Responses to “Dad's birthday and other lessons of love”
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July 11th, 2006 at 12:22 am 1152577349
July 11th, 2006 at 01:05 pm 1152623105
July 11th, 2006 at 01:21 pm 1152624102
That he is truly happy is in itself a great accomplishment,how many of us can truly say that we are happy.
July 12th, 2006 at 03:13 am 1152674032
July 14th, 2006 at 01:41 am 1152841284
November 9th, 2018 at 09:50 am 1541757027