Let me start by saying I hope everyone had a good Father's day yesterday. Some of us are fathers. Some of us are not. All of us had fathers. As with any family member, there are good times and not so good. Family is a micro-cosm of humanity. My dad passed away last fall. This was the first one without him. So I had a day of reflection. Even though he is gone, I still learn from him. I found out recently he was awarded the Bronze Star twice in Korea. The Bronze Star is rewarded for bravery. He never mentioned it. He was always very humble. We live in a time where even the smallest accomplishments are treated like the greatest thing since sliced bread. People are famous just for being famous. Some of the things I think my dad tried to teach me is if you say you will do it, follow through. Help others when you can even if it isnt convenient. Accomplishment is its own reward. Leave the credit to others. The thing I realized while reflecting on him was some of the greatest lessons he passed on were done without words. One lesson many of us know all too well....they may not always be here, so treasure your friends and family while they are close. It is the people in our lives that make us rich.
The sacrifices of our fathers generations and before were made because they felt it was the right thing to do, not because they wanted notoriety or a pat on the back.
In todays day and age we've really seemed to lose that. The idea of sacrifice is almost offensive to some.
I'm sure your Dad is proud of you just for recognizing his efforts and for having a sincere appreciation of them.
Thanks JR. We've talked and both our dad's were very similar. The only difference was your dad slogged on his belly through the jungles of Vietnam and my dad did it in Korean Mountains. They used their vast experiences to raise two rugged, rough and tumble kids...and that was just their daughters.
