While searching my slides a couple of days ago I came across my favourite picture of my father, standing in a field of alfalfa on their land, with the late, great, Opus at his side. It was taken perhaps 20 years ago, or more.
Last Sunday, my father turned 80. I could think of no where on earth that I would have rather been, but once again I was far too far away to join my family. When I think upon my life, the influences on it, the things that make me who I am, there is no doubt from where the good parts came from. My father remains, by a huge margin, my biggest role model. He is the man I wish I was.

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6 responses
How I hope that my children feel the same about me.
Me too Alan, me too.
That’s sweet, Clare. I don’t know your dad, of course, but I think you’re doing pretty well as your own man.
Kia ora Clare,
What a fine tribute to your father. I know how it is to be far too far away from family. I somehow think the father is quite proud of the son.
Cheers,
Robb
What an amazing tribute. It must be hard to be so far away.
Why thank you Fawn.
Thanks Robb, I guess I hadn’t thought but you are a long way from family. Do you get back to the States much at all? I like to think that dad is happy the way I turned out.
It is Liza, the distance and the expense of getting back to family is the one thing that is really hard about living up here.