Yesterday was my dad’s birthday…he is 80 years young this year. My dad was raised across the road from where our farm would be on the 7th concession of Howard Township just outside Ridgetown. He was a farmer just like his dad was a farmer. My generation that broke that cycle since none of my siblings or myself stayed on the farm. We do however share the values that were instilled in us by our parents; that work comes before play and that patience is a virtue. We were raised on a dairy farm so it meant seven days of work each week and much planning and preparation for the seasons to come, the same way that it is with life, that we prepare or are prepared for future days and events. Who knew that many good life lessons and personality traits could come from gathering eggs and milking cows?
My dad has seen many changes since his youth. I think that my favourite story that he told me was one that Luke and Ellen would take the kids into town on a Friday night and give them a nickel to spend. Albert, my dad’s younger brother took him into a store and they sat at the counter. Dad took a sip of the drink that Albert had bought and all of the sudden it started coming out his nose…that was my dad’s first encounter with a soda pop!
My dad may have retired and moved from the farm but he is still busy. He volunteers his time with C.H.A.P.S. and makes sure that folks in Ridgetown get to where they need to be. He has taken up travelling and will head out west later this summer on one of his longest trips away from home. And in the meantime, he’s still there for us whenever we need a ride, or something fixed or just some good old fashioned advice. Regardless of the technological advances that we continue to make in life, nothing can really replace wisdom. Happy Birthday, Dad!
