Jill's Journal: Today, he would have celebrated 85 years of life

By: 
Jill Meier, Journal editor

Last week, as I put together the “budget” for this week’s Brandon Valley Journal, I switched out the one for an eight, and with no hesitation, said aloud to myself, “That’s my dad’s birthday. He would’ve been 85.”

I smiled inside, and began wondering, what would my dad have been like at this stage in life if he were still here with us today?

Without question, I was confident that in the summertime he’d still be tinkering in his garden, growing tomatoes and potatoes, carrots and green beans and green peppers, onions and cucumbers and dill, too, for canning pickles, of course. And he’d still be telling his prideful stories about the produce he was harvesting – and sharing the bounty with family, friends and neighbors.

I imagine he’d still be taking a call or two, offering his advice on what may be wrong with a former client’s furnace or stove or their washer or dryer.

I know for certain. that he’d have something to say about all of the snow this year, having had to haul out the snow blower one too many times this winter. 

He’d still be enjoying time on his riding mower, steering it in a diagonal pattern this week and switching it to a different diagonal pattern the next week.

The windows in their home would’ve been squeaky clean with no streaks. He really liked clean windows.

He’d still be enjoying those ‘just checking my eyelids for holes’ naps from the comforts of his recliner that to be honest, had seen better days, but still sat just right.

Without question, he and his best buddy, Bill, would have had plenty to talk about. Back in the day when the two worked together all day long, it was somewhat comical that they still had more to talk about after hours. They were like a couple of gabby women on a party line, some would say. I’m glad he had a friend like that.

Every Sunday, I know he and mom would be sitting in their same church pew, the one with a cushion midway down the aisle on the right side. And it was always the early service, which allowed for eggs, bacon and toast afterwards at home. 

He’d be delighted to see how his three grandsons have all grown into men and now have families of their own. He loved kids, and he loved to tease them so, just like his dad did. And I’m confident that he would be proud to be on the sidelines of the lives of his great-grandchildren.

I know that he’d still be giving me words of wisdom or advice on stuff that comes up in life. Although I may not have always heeded his fatherly advice, I surely appreciated what he had to say.

If my dad were still with us today, I have an inkling that he’d celebrate his special day with a Mac-cloudy, seated at the kitchen table in the corner chair alongside my mom enjoying the same. It’s likely I’d have planned a trip “home” this weekend to celebrate his milestone birthday at a family gathering. But instead of the 100-mile jaunt down the highway and across the border to Minnesota, this morning I simply raised my head to the heavens and whispered aloud, “Happy 85th Birthday in Heaven, Dad.”

 

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The Brandon Valley Journal

 

The Brandon Valley Journal
1404 E. Cedar St.
Brandon, SD 57005
(605) 582-9999

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