Eighty

Today would have been my father’s eightieth birthday; in a few days, on 17 March 2023, it will also be ten years since he died.

I have written about him before here and here, and a lot has stayed the same. I do still think about him every day. I give him more and more credit for handling people, his hobbies, maintaining the house, and interacting with my friends and me, especially as I am challenged by these things more and more.

I also think a lot about how my mother balanced him out and how important this is in my relationship with Angela. She made him a better, more reasonable man. Soon it is her eightieth birthday, and I wonder if he had the same impact on her. I don’t think as much; she is a far stronger person on the inside.

Well, happy birthday, Bob, from all of us!