A Righteous Man

This afternoon I was witness to two very different Father's Day celebrations. Outside the window of the coffee shop where I was reading, countless dads and their kids walked hand-in-hand into the movie theater to spend some quality time together, and escape the 100-degree heat, I'm sure.

Driving home afterward, I passed a large cemetery. A solemn and broken trio of young family members stood weeping over a headstone with a fresh flower arrangement, surrounded by hundreds of other memorials similarly adorned for this special day. It was clear who they were mourning.

Each scene gave so much meaning to the other.

In reading something I wrote for my dad's recent retirement, I thought it was appropriate for this day, too ...

"I know if it weren’t for you, I would never have had a home, an education, opportunities that others never had — a future.

I know that you were always planning ahead, looking for the next best job opportunity in the best place for your family, and how I had the best possible memories and upbringing because of it.

I know how many mornings you left the house in the dark— before anyone was stirring — to make a tiresome commute to a thankless and stressful job, and how many evenings you came home after the daylight was already gone … just to get up the next morning and do it all over again.

I know how many years you endured jokes about “banker’s hours” from people who have no idea what your hours were.

I know that you have always done your job with integrity and honesty, and that you always cared more about people than about making money for the company.

I know that even when things were unbearable and there were times you wanted to quit, you hung on because your family needed you to.

Though you never complained or even mentioned all the things you gave up for my benefit, I know how many times you sacrificed your hard-earned money to pay for a car repair (or replacement) or a past-due bill or for some selfish thing I thought I just couldn’t do without.

I know how seldom I showed you how much I appreciated what you did for me, and how many times you felt taken for granted.

Dad, I can never really know how much you have given up in this life to do all these things, but it’s because of all this that I know how much you love me."