Remembering only the important things

May 29, 2010

My father would have been 91 today, but he passed away two years ago after a long bout with Alzheimers.

Our relationship was contentious for many years. I came out of the womb questioning authority, so you can imagine the conflicts I had with an authoritarian, Sicilian-American father.

Over time I came to appreciate the many gifts he gave me and to understand how they outweighed what I saw as his deficiencies as a father.

Those gifts are what I have focused on for many years now, and they are the only things I remember about him today.

This Norman Rockwell painting reminds me of my father, whose primary love was taking care of his young patients. His face softened when he entered an exam room and saw a child, and a hallmark of every visit was his teasing them to make their visit less fearful.

I can still see him in his office, stethoscope around his neck, goofy smile on his face, putting an otoscope in a child’s ear and exclaiming, “I see carrots and potatoes in there!”

It’s nice to have memories that make me smile.

If there’s a heaven, my parents are up there. I like to think of them happy in heaven, smiling down on us with joy.

(And I look forward to hearing from one or both this September when I visit with John Edward. )

2 comments on “Remembering only the important things
  1. lisa Brock says:

    Ahhh, the gift of perspective…and who is John Edward?

  2. Lisa Brock says:

    Ahhh, the gift of perspective! Who is John Edward?

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