Legacy
It was pretty easy to decide what to write about this morning. Today is our dad’s 80th birthday. He and mom also celebrated 60 years married just a few months ago. Together, they built a family, established a good life for us, and set the standards of good work ethics.
I don’t know how old he was, but there is a picture of Dad as a kid picking cotton by hand. My first paying job was chopping weeds in cotton fields; it was hot, there were spiders and snakes everywhere and the rows seemed to never end. I remember my Grandma telling me to stay in school or get used to such hard work in the heat with the critters. That summer might be the reason I continued my education by taking college courses into my 30's. I’ve had many “outdoor” jobs in the heat over the years, but that summer made me determined to stay in school and NOT have spiders and snakes as co-workers!
My early summertime memories of dad are of him leaving for work around dawn, 7 days a week if needed. Because he was the foreman, he was gone as long as it took to get the job done. Most of the time, it was close to sundown before he came home. There was time for a bite to eat from a saved supper and a quick nap before he started his side job, baling alfalfa hay for the neighbors. Like his day job, there was no time limit. He baled as long as the conditions were right. Somehow, in the in-between times he helped mom in our huge kitchen garden, worked with his horses or helped with our project animals, built welded corrals that could keep an elephant contained, and found time for the hobbies he enjoys. He kept the balance and crammed 36 hours of work into a 24-hour day. He never complained, never said he was too tired, and never lost his temper. He just did what he needed to do.
His default work mode was still burning hot into his 60s, when he was working 12 hour shifts 7 days a week operating heavy equipment on an oil field lease with crews a third his age. When his knees could no longer tolerate the long hours and abuse, his doctor recommend retirement. With free time on his hands, he taught himself to draw and then hand engrave intricate designs in metal, taught himself to make and fletch his own arrows, and learned to surf the internet. Okay, the internet he hasn’t mastered, but he loves to learn new things and research ideas for new hobbies.
So today, cheers to our dad! Thanks for the example you’ve set for us over the years, the stories told, and lessons taught. Happy Birthday Dad!