On this Father's Day 2017 I've been thinking of you dad. All the things you did for your family. Your kind ways, your patience, your unfailing love for all of us. I should write chapters in my life's book about you. I'm remembering how I loved ironing your shirts on saturday morning. How you'd vacume, wash dishes and garden because mom worked too and you did not distinguish between what a man's job at home was. This was a great model for all of us especially when such things were most unusual in the 1950's. I remember how you'd take me downtown on the streetcar at Christmas time to pick out a blouse for mom. You always bought her blouses. Even as a child I thought you should change it up and surprise mom with something else. You didn't know mom's size but when a saleslady would ask you, you'd find a woman close by who looked about mom's size and you'd point her out and say "My wife is about her size." The blouses always fit! Once I suggested mom might like something other than a blouse. I was little but I liked shiny jewelry and I pointed to a rhinestone necklace and said, "Mom would like that!" So you listened to me and you bought her that necklace. "You paid too much money for that!" mom would say but she kept it and wore it. I knew in my heart she must have been so surprised it wasn't another blouse. I have that necklace now and it reminds me of the day you gave it to mom. But that was you dad, always thinking about what would make mom and all of us happy. I'm going to write more about you dad in the chapters of my not yet written book.
Thank you for teaching me so many things. For spending Saturday mornings with me and baking my first cake from scratch with me. You didn't know how to bake a cake either but you pulled out "Joy of Cooking" and we discovered together. You took me to see "Flower Drum Song" at the Shrine auditorium on a saturday. We got dressed up and it was my first musical. You said you grew up with one of the actors. His stage name was Jack Soo. You said he was Japanese and that was not his real name but because of the war he changed his name so he would have more success getting acting jobs. We went on the streetcar to see the show because our one and only car was for mom to drive to work. That's just one of the many memories I have of your selflessness. Always putting others first. If you were here dad I would ask you what you wanted for Father's day just the way I asked you every year growing up. I know what you'd say. It was always the same answer. "I don't want anything. I have everything I want. " Years later you would add: “ I married the girl of my dreams, we had three beautiful children and four wonderful grandchildren. Who could ask for anything more?"
I'm going to write many chapters on you dad. You taught me so many great lessons in life.
Thinking of you especially today. You are always with me in my heart.
"Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad!"
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