Jun 15 2009
I am my Father
Sept 2007 at my brother's wedding
In 2001, my dad had a mild heart attack. It happened 3 days after I placed him on a plane back to California from Texas – he and my older brother came out to help me move into my new house that weekend. I’ll never forget the phone call my brother made to me. It was about 2:00 am CST. My dad dropped my mom at the airport the evening before so she could help me get settled into my house. The phone rings, I answer and the first words my brother says is… “don’t tell mom I’m calling”. I tell him, “hey, what’s wrong?” “it’s dad, he kinda had a heart attack, but don’t tell mom because we don’t want her to worry”. Mid-sentence, of course, my mom was already in my room saying “what happened?”. I wasn’t even sure that she had heard the phone ring, but she did. Later she confessed that she couldn’t sleep because she felt that something was wrong.
I wasn’t able to come home that weekend and to this day I wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently. My dad, thank our Heavenly Father above, is healthy now. But it’s interesting because after every disagreement I have with my dad, I immediately think of how I could have lost him that night.
Why am I thinking of this now? I don’t know to be honest. I think it’s because I’m going home tomorrow to hang with my parents (and report to jury duty the next day) and I want to brainstorm with him a couple of ideas on what I could do to isolate a portion of the balcony for Corky.
The irony of all of this is that my father and I have butted heads my entire life. My mom claims that we are “like looking at each other in a mirror” or that we are so alike, we’re like “two parts of same magnet trying to reconnect, but instead we repel.” One may look at this as negative things — however I feel blessed because although not perfect, I love that he has given me his strength, his creativity, his wit, his innovation, his determination and his stubbornness. He is the only person in the world that I know who can see something through to completion, regardless of the obstacles along the way. We may not always agree, and yes there will be more arguments, but together we find a way and we get things done. Writing this now, I can’t bear to think what life would be like without my dad.
I love you Papi!
it’s good to at least feel a strong connection…the alternative is no connection-thats when we get lost.
Maybe you’re thinking of this as the Hallmark card aisle, and your love, is pulling at you Claudia.
I love the idea of this being the Hallmark isle! However, the irony of that is that 99% of the time you’d find me in the Shoebox Cards section!
I just wanted to tell you that I love the picture of you and your dad … you have a very beautiful family!! And also, sometimes I feel I have the same relationship with my dad. We are so much alike and we butt heads but I love him!!
I know, dads – they grow on you!