As the oldest of nine children, my life has been interesting to say the least. My father (who I’ve always respected immensely-even though I’ve been reluctant to admit it) and I have never quite seen eye to eye. While amazingly alike genetically, our commonality was always interrupted by our competitive urges to outdo or one up another in some silly life achievement fashion. Even though neither of us will ever admit to it, its fairly easy to spot.
My Dad just spent 5 nights with the Muscle Couple in CA. Dad is now retired and living the “good life” with my Mom at 63. To even say that let alone think it reflecting back on their last 30 years of life, is absolutely mind bending.
Both my Mom and Dad are truly amazing people. They have literally sacrificed their entire lives for the good of their children. I mean it. They raised 9 children under the most difficult of circumstances. No matter how financially strapped they were there was never a time when any of us went hungry at night. They never took vacations, or had a social life. My Mom and Dad never had fancy clothes, nice cars or any material possessions of value. Their “material goods’ were their children and the honor and integrity they instilled in us. You would be hard pressed to find better parents.
My father achieved success thru hard work and intelligence. He ascended the corporate ladder out of sheer will and a tenacious desire to continually achieve and to feed his family. He is a modern day American success story. Both he and my mothers story in raising 9 productive citizens is one to be lauded and written about. I’m hopeful that one of the immensely talented writers in our family will someday pen the script. It would be a worldwide best seller.
I just want to say the last 6 days with my Dad were some of the best I’ve ever spent with him. I don’t think I got into one fight or verbal confrontation. And for the first time in my life, I can honestly say I didn’t have a horrible feeling in my stomach when he left.
Thanks for coming Dad! And thanks for being such a wonderful Grandpa to the Muscle B!
We love you and hope you come back soon. Next time, please bring Mom with you. 
Jay-Alex-Caity-Sara-Dad
MIHWCS
0 responses so far ↓
1 Jane D // Feb 28, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Very nice!
2 Greenie // Mar 1, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Very touching Jay. So good to hear that you were able to bond on a new, different and wonderful level.
About 4 years ago my father suffered a severe rupture of the large intestine and 95% liver AND kidney failure. He was in a coma for a month but somehow pulled out of it. To this day the doctors have no idea how he survived that ordeal, let alone the last four years.
This experience helped shed a new light on the value of life, and particularly on family. He and I shared a number of wonderful trips together in the years that followed, largely because he had finally shed the firm, analytical and emotionless exterior that he wore like armor for so much of his life.
Sadly, in October my father passed away without warning. This still hurts me often, but I know my pain is nowhere near what it would have been had we not managed to reconnect.
Family can be a crazy, maddening struggle, simultaneously filled with love, frustration, respect and shame. Yet in the end there does remain an incredible bond that goes far beyond basic biology.
It warms my heart to hear this story from you, my friend. I hope you and your father have many wonderful times ahead.
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