Just some thoughts for Father’s Day…a tribute to my Dad, Warren Reid.
Thank you Dad, for all the things you gave me:
- Your wild and crazy sense of humor…You were the first to share the infamous “Pull my finger!” And, I can’t watch a heavy rainstorm without thinking of that one day, when I was a little girl watching the storm at the front window of our house. I could hardly see across the street. You came up behind me and said “You know what, San Sue? If this keeps up, it won’t come down.” Then you walked away, quietly leaving me with that puzzled look on my face, still staring out at the rain.
- It took me years to learn that some of your antics had come from the comic duo, Laurel and Hardy. Oh how I loved it when you would slide on the kitchen linoleum floor, do a split and then pull your self up by your hair! Eat your heart out Stan Laurel.
- The way you could irk Mom, in a kidding way. Like the time our dog was twisted around biting her tail. You looked at her and calmly asked “Can you do that? She didn’t have that keen sense of humor, and would always respond a bit like Archie Bunker’s wife Edith on “All in the Family”. “Oh Warren!” she’d say, exasperated by your comments. The rest of us trying to stifle our laughter.
- Your tender mentorship. You didn’t have an education to speak of… in fact I was told that you had only attended school through the seventh grade. But, you helped me learn how to learn. Whenever I needed help with some homework project, you would simply say “Look it up.” The encyclopedia was my friend. I was fascinated by the contents, especially the pictures. That, along with my Mom helping me discover a love for the library, helped me achieve good grades and a lifelong passion for learning.
- Speaking of the library. You were the first to teach me the importance of reading material in the bathroom! I once even found a “Library” sign to hang on my bathroom door.
- Astronomy and space…You would wake me in the middle of the night to see an eclipse of the moon. We watched the spectacular sight of Aurora Borealis dancing across the summer night’s sky. You pointed out the Russian “Sputnik” blinking through the stars and said eerily, “They’re watching us”. I still love it all, Dad. Although you might laugh that I’ve added a bit of astrology to the mix.
- Your good looks. Thanks Dad for my youthful look, blue eyes, thick, wavy hair and small frame. All of that in one package has served me well.
- Discovering football, baseball and all things sports. This one was rather subtle. On Sunday afternoons, when you and my brother would fall asleep watching a game, I would creep up and change the channel…back in the days of no remote and only three channel choices. As soon as I could switch to the Shirley Temple movie, you would both wake up and make me turn it back to the game. I also watched you with awe when you pitched in your summer slow-pitch games. I later dated a wonderful boy who would go on to play baseball in college. I went to his games sometimes. I didn’t realize it then, but he had your good looks!…and your rye sense of humor.
- Crossword puzzles…you did the one in the newspaper everyday until you left for heaven. You kept a well worn dictionary and a thesaurus by your side. I’ve continued the practice hoping to keep my mind as sharp as yours.
- Fishing…not only for the delicious catch of the day, but for the art of enjoying silent reflection along the banks of the Niagara river. You were a man of few words. But, I saw so much through your eyes. One of my fondest memories is of our family sitting out on the front porch on a summer night, eating fresh perch you had just caught that evening. We watched fireflies flicker about the yard and listened to the roar of the falls as we devoured every morsel.
I could go on with so many more things that I am grateful for because of you. Thank you for being my Dad.
Fond regards and Happy Father’s Day to all the other Dads out there…and up there!
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