Yesterday, Michael, Carter, Ella & I filed into the magical minivan and headed to Detroit to celebrate Howard's 83rd birthday. (Ok, so there's nothing "magical" about it. It's a minivan.)
It was a beautiful day for a drive, and when Judy's entertaining, you definitely want to be there! Ok, Howard first. If I start with the food, I may never make it to Howard...
Last week I was talking on the phone with my sister Nancy about our plans to visit the Labadies and celebrate Howard's birthday. There was this long, puzzled pause, and she said, "NOW?... I thought Howard's birthday was in the summer." It seems when Nancy & Bernie were traveling in Northern Michigan this August they stopped by the lakehouse to see them, and Howard was going on about his birthday. My sister went so far as to send him a birthday card...in August. For the record, Howard's birthday is October 21, but he'll celebrate any day of living!
When you first meet Howard, you instantly feel his warmth and kindness, and without a doubt, he's smiling. He smiles a lot. I hope I'm like that at 83. I want to be the kinder-gentler version of me. (I think my family might want that for me right now.) Howard has had some health scares over the past decade, and he could teach us all something about being happy, and thankful each day. Judy is the love of his life, family is everything, and he is blessed. Howard has become rather sentimental in his years. He's a sensitive guy, and during those "moments" in life...the ones that should matter to us all... Howard will tear up. It's really the sweetest thing. He gets it. This thing called life. Those moments are precious, and should be celebrated with abandonment, and yes, tears.
He's also a funny guy. He likes to tell people that when he served in WWII, he was stationed on a little island about 1,500 miles off the coast of San Francisco. (that part is...technically true) The island? Grosse Ile. Yup. Downriver Detroit. He got to drive home for lunch. :)
A summer morning at the cottage goes something like this...Howard: Good morning Carter! How are you feeling this morning? Carter: I feel good. Howard: Oh really? I feel with my hands.
To really know Howard is to anticipate one of his "Howardisms". My favorite: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift...and that's why they call it the present.
He has several of these on automatic rotation. That Howard is a true gift and a joy to be around!
The food was, as always, amazing. I was mostly full after the appetizers, but limited my dinner so I could finish with birthday pie. One apple, one mixed berry. Yum.
And now, two months of reprieve, then in January Howard will start talking about his birthday. I can just hear it now...
Howard:"I'm gonna be 90 this year."
Judy: "Oh Howard, you are not! You're only gonna be 84!"
Howard: "Well, I had a stroke, ya know..."
God bless him!
It was a beautiful day for a drive, and when Judy's entertaining, you definitely want to be there! Ok, Howard first. If I start with the food, I may never make it to Howard...
Last week I was talking on the phone with my sister Nancy about our plans to visit the Labadies and celebrate Howard's birthday. There was this long, puzzled pause, and she said, "NOW?... I thought Howard's birthday was in the summer." It seems when Nancy & Bernie were traveling in Northern Michigan this August they stopped by the lakehouse to see them, and Howard was going on about his birthday. My sister went so far as to send him a birthday card...in August. For the record, Howard's birthday is October 21, but he'll celebrate any day of living!
When you first meet Howard, you instantly feel his warmth and kindness, and without a doubt, he's smiling. He smiles a lot. I hope I'm like that at 83. I want to be the kinder-gentler version of me. (I think my family might want that for me right now.) Howard has had some health scares over the past decade, and he could teach us all something about being happy, and thankful each day. Judy is the love of his life, family is everything, and he is blessed. Howard has become rather sentimental in his years. He's a sensitive guy, and during those "moments" in life...the ones that should matter to us all... Howard will tear up. It's really the sweetest thing. He gets it. This thing called life. Those moments are precious, and should be celebrated with abandonment, and yes, tears.
He's also a funny guy. He likes to tell people that when he served in WWII, he was stationed on a little island about 1,500 miles off the coast of San Francisco. (that part is...technically true) The island? Grosse Ile. Yup. Downriver Detroit. He got to drive home for lunch. :)
A summer morning at the cottage goes something like this...Howard: Good morning Carter! How are you feeling this morning? Carter: I feel good. Howard: Oh really? I feel with my hands.
To really know Howard is to anticipate one of his "Howardisms". My favorite: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift...and that's why they call it the present.
He has several of these on automatic rotation. That Howard is a true gift and a joy to be around!
The food was, as always, amazing. I was mostly full after the appetizers, but limited my dinner so I could finish with birthday pie. One apple, one mixed berry. Yum.
And now, two months of reprieve, then in January Howard will start talking about his birthday. I can just hear it now...
Howard:"I'm gonna be 90 this year."
Judy: "Oh Howard, you are not! You're only gonna be 84!"
Howard: "Well, I had a stroke, ya know..."
God bless him!
Great stuff Laurie...keep it up!
ReplyDeleteMakes me love Howard all the more....and Michael too since I KNOW that your future with him will look quite a bit like what you just wrote about his dad!
ReplyDeleteWill these make it into a book?
They should you know....
I, for better or worse, am my fathers son and like my father before me, have the good fortune of winning the marriage lottery. If I have just a small part of his ability to look at what is good in life in the face of so many setbacks that could have made a lesser man a cynic, then I'll consider his legacy safe, I'll consider myself worthy of being my fathers son.
ReplyDelete