Dad's Day

This January 15th marked the 5th anniversary of my dad's death.  Over the Christmas holidays, especially during our week holiday in Caloundra, I felt very connected to my grief and memories and tears both poured from me, in a bittersweet kind of way.  I remembered holidays we'd had as a child at the beach, and while walking along the beach, I could close my eyes and block off just enough of the surrounds so that the image was one of the past -  on a beach in CT, Yemen, Cyprus, Kenya with my family, friends, and my dad.

We've always tried to do something special on January 15th to remember my dad.  Always pancake and maple syrup, maybe a game of baseball... things that he would have loved doing and things to connect us to him.  This year I decided that - in memory of my dad- we would start the tradition of going some place extra special- so that we can make special memories of family times together as those special events often stand out more in our memories.  I thought- each year on this day, Dad - you are going to treat us to a special day where quality time spent together matters most and we'll remember you in this way.

It was a tough call- a water park which brought back memories of stopping- I think on our way to Detroit airport before leaving for Yemen for the first time in the 80s- at a water park where my mom managed to find our bathing suits in our luggage and we shrieked our way down the water slide and the flying fox, with jump into the pool below.

But in the end, we chose the Science Center in Brisbane because of my dad's love of science and the knowledge that he would have loved to have gone there with us on one of his visits and share his insights with his interested grandchildren.  We first stopped at the all you can eat sushi buffet in West End, that I've heard about for years and wanted to try.  We laughed because sushi was the one meal my dad struggled to it. At a sushi restaurant in Pittsburgh, my dad's face was visibly in pain- when asked he started telling us about his fear of getting some kind of worm- I couldn't believe it. My dad who ate anything, always - our garbage can- terrified of sushi!  Well, as it ended up, he would've enjoyed the Sushi Buffet in Brisbane because there wasn't really any raw meat/sushimi there!  But Simon loved the mango sushi and they did have some smoked salmon so we were happy.

Simon and Gracie LOVED the Science Center.  Loved it and are itching to go back.  The loved the light show and Andrew and I marveled at how un-shy Simon is, raising his hands every time there was a call for a volunteer.  I thought about how my dad would have enjoyed working at such a museum and teaching children about Science.  When he and my mom thought towards retirement, he toyed with the idea of becoming a substitute science teacher at a school in the States.  I wish he was around to teach science to his grandchildren.  Simon is dying for a microscope.

There was an exhibit that timed to see how fast your sprinting start was.  Oh dad, you would have loved that one!  Gracie who has decided her thing is running spent about on hour practicing her start.  And Simon's determination and concentration ended in him hitting the bulls eye 10 times in a ball throw that showed the speed of your throw.  He said to me, "Now I understand why you always tell me you have to keep practicing and practicing!  I'm really learning how to do this!"  He used the technique his baseball coach taught him and really, was pretty amazing. I only hit it about 3 times!

I didn't end up spending time reflecting on you or getting knocked over by my grief, Dad, on this 5th year since you've been gone; but you were with us the whole day, right there in our minds, in our words and in our hearts.  I have missed you so these past 5 years apart.  But we are carrying your memory, the essence of who you are with us and I smile, especially when I see you living on in your beautiful grandchildren.

Love you, Dad.