Blog 3336 – 12.21.2024

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today my dad would have turned one hundred and one had he not decided to end his adventure in time and space suddenly at the age of seventy-three in nineteen ninety-seven. I am older than my dad was when he passed, having ticked off birthday number seventy four a month ago tomorrow.

The morning of the day that dad chose to conclude his adventure, my lovely and loving wife Linda Lee, our seven year old son Jonathan, seven at the time, and I had driven from Houston to Chattanooga to visit my Dad and Mom whom we had not seen in over two years. After Jonathan (Jay) and Linda finally woke up Dad came out to the dinning room carrying an antique Knights of Pythias ceremonial sword that Jay had be hoping would be his one day. Dad, addressing my son, said, “Boy, I’ve got some good news and bad news for you. I have decided to leave this sword to you when I die, but the bad news is that I plan to live to be a hundred.” Dad so enjoyed a good joke, but this joke seemed to be on him as the first part of his announcement came true far sooner that he was thinking, later that very day.

For some years I have been intending to make that hundredth birthday mark myself maybe even a hundred and five just for good measure. But then I always caveat all my intentions with the statement: “I make these and all my intentions for the good of the Universe, myself, and all people everywhere.” That is just my saying to my higher power what Christians and other believers say when they end their prayer requests with, “Thy will be done.”

Much as I might like to live to a hundred and see my fifteen month old granddaughter Emma Grace grown, if the Universe has other better plans for me I am fine with that. With those “And many happy returns” that we often tack on to our “Happy Birthday” greetings we should keep in mind that we have a better place to return to sooner or later. When I was a younger man we used to sing, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”

I am glad and grateful for all the people I have gotten to know along the way especially my daddy.

Happy birthday, Daddy!

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

Note:

The attached song is for my daddy. He too, like the father in the song, shared many of his dreams with me, some I have already made come true, and others I hope to as well.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Oqrvu0BTqB6Hi-SE-2NRbaUiFlRUxN_t/view?usp=drivesdk

My Father