HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! "84"

Today is a pretty big day.  84 years ago,  my dad was born. 

  Then and now pictures...

 

I so wish that I could be there, celebrating with a lemon pie and 4th of July sparkler on top. 

Dad has always loved history, and has instilled in his daughters that same love.  In honor of your birthday, Dad, here is a little story I recorded in my journal awhile back.

In July of 2008, at one of our bi-annual Frank Park family reunions, I mentioned to Mike how much I had enjoyed being able to visit one-on-one with just me and my dad earlier in the day. Mike-who has always been a great observer-made a comment to me…"Have you noticed how Dad has gone around to each of us at this reunion and spent one-on-one time? I hadn’t noticed, but I started to watch him and realized that it was true. I also realized that he has always been that way…

Four years later, at the 2012 Reunion, something happened that I thought was so precious, I recorded it in my journal. Although  I wasn’t there when it happened, both Babz and Sasha told me about it, later. Several family members were playing BINGO. Someone shouted out that they had a BINGO. Immediately afterwards, 4-year old Taylor began to cry, loudly. In fact, it was more of a scream. Everyone thought she was mad that she hadn’t won-except dad. He quickly realized that Taylor had gotten her tiny little foot stuck in the back of the chair she was kneeling on. The harder she tried to get it unstuck, the more tightly it became wedged. Several people tried to help before AJ was finally able to free her foot. As soon as Taylor was free, she threw herself into Grandpa Park’s arms and sobbed her little heart out. He was the one she wanted. Dad has always been the one we wanted when we were sick or hurt or sad.

 

Taylor, as a babe with her great-grandpa...

 

 

...and on her first day of kindergarten

And, here's a p.s. to the story.  I had a sweet experience at the 2014 Reunion, held at Antelope Island just a few weeks ago.  As so often happens when all the relatives gather that haven't seen each other for a long time, the younger children become a bit frightened when confronted with all the strangers wanting hugs and kisses.  Taylor was clinging to me, trying to avoid those strange faces she hadn't seen for nearly a third of her life. Each time someone new came up, she buried her face in my shoulder and clung to me tighter.  Then, all of a sudden, she straightened up, smiled brightly and  was genuinely thrilled as she recognized her great-grandpa Park standing before her.  Gave me a bit of a lump in my throat...

Happy Birthday, Dad, you truly are salt-of-the-earth!