turninglifespaiges

Hey again, hope you are well wherever you are in life. I thought I’d take some time and tell you of a new tradition my sister and I started. I think it’s pretty great. It started two years ago, but it’s definitely one I can see us doing for the rest of our lives.

Our father’s birthday was this past weekend. It would have been his 66th birthday. There are a ton of different ways you can honor someone, like visiting their grave. Instead of being sad and mourning his loss a year ago, my sister and I decided we’d go eat at one of his favorite pizza places. He used to take us there all the time, just right around the corner from our house.

He really loved doing things together as a family. He loved going to concerts, taking us out for ice cream, going anywhere with us (even the post office). He even moved his office desk into the family room, so he wasn’t cooped up in an office away from us when we got home from school. That didn’t stop him from fussing at me for laughing too loud when he was trying to work though. I always said, “Dad, we have an office for a reason,” in which he’d never reply. I didn’t realize until later that he just wanted to be around us at all times.

He never complained about driving to come get us or drop us off anywhere, he was just happy to be with us. Maybe it was an excuse so he could listen to all of his bootleg concert recordings of Led Zeppelin, but that’s neither here nor there.

My sister and I had so much fun at the pizza place that year, we unofficially made it a tradition that we go do something he would have loved to do on his birthday. We never discussed or agreed on it, but we didn’t have to.

This year, one of my close army friends wanted a special edition jersey from a baseball game that was being played on my dad’s birthday. He spoke to my sister and bought her some tickets since he couldn’t go to the game and get it himself. Well, naturally, my sister asked me if we should go. My dad adored baseball, and played it growing up. So of course we went, reminisced about our dad, and had a ball!

Remembering your loved one after they’ve left doesn’t always have to be a sad day. I encourage you to take a moment and go do something they would have loved to do with you. My sister and I have never been closer, and now we get to still enjoy what our dad would have wanted for us. It’s fun, joyous, and most of all, healing. Happy birthday dad, RAYS WIN RAYS WIN!!