Remembering Dad

August 27, 2006
This afternoon for a family activity we put together a scrapbook for my dad, or Boppa, as the kids knew him by. This was precipitated by a visit last week from my Uncle Wally and Aunt Sue, who were passing through and stayed with us for a night. I took advantage of the opportunity to get out all of Dad's old pictures and memorabilia, which I hadn't looked at since Mom died. And I went through a bunch of pictures with Wally to both identify the subjects and reminisce at the same time. I really enjoyed spending time with him.

So, having all of Dad's stuff in a small stack, I decided to put it in a book--nothing fancy, with flowers or stencils; just some acid-free sleeves, black mounting paper and a big three-ring notebook. Angelica, Rebecca, Lanee and I toiled for several hours, the result of which was a great book that captures a lot of Dad's history, including his ancestors, family, schooling, military, avocational, religious and professional interests. It's the kind of book that will be passed on from one generation to the next, and I am quite happy to have made it. I guess now I need one for my mother.

It is, perhaps, a small way of turning the hearts of the parents to the children, and vice versa.