Sunday, June 17, 2012

Father's Day, Friendship and Pride

     It's 06/17/2012. Father's Day. If you saw the post I did on facebook yesterday you know that my Dad has been gone many years. I miss him and my mother every day. I miss my grandparents too. The two I was lucky enough to know and the two I never met. I often wonder what life would have been had all my grandparents survived into their 60's or later.
     What I do know is that the loss of her parents while she was young made my mother very aware of the importance of family. The support and love that only family can provide was critical to her. It is because of her love and care of family that my siblings and I are close. They are a blessing in my life and were it not for a wonderful set of parents I would not have the angels I call Eileen, Skip and Karen in my life.
     So Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there. Remember that the love you show your children today will be paid forward in the love they show to the people who will be our future.
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     I was lucky enough to spend a part of last week with my dear friend Linda. We have been friends for a very long time. We met back when we were kids slaving away coding for an insurance company. (We basically filled in sheets of paper with numbers so they could be key punched onto data cards and then transmitted to the main office the company. Does anyone remember those old keypunch cards?)
     We laughed and joked and even after more than forty years we discovered new things about each other. We remembered the past, discussed the present and dreamed about our futures. What more can anyone ask from a friend.
     I often wish that she lived closer and that we could spend more nights staying up and laughing uproariously but I'll take what the good Lord and our travel budgets allow and say Thanks.
                                                      *****************************

     Life is going along very well for me these days. I have family, old friends and new friends who bless my life and keep it from being dull, boring and barren.
     The fear and tension that I carried with me for so many years has disappeared since I let the people that love me know that I'm a lesbian. I'm so blessed because everyone who loves me wants me only to be happy. Not a single person important to me turned away.
     I added this last section only because June is Pride month. I'm proud to be the person I am. I'm proud I have the family and friends I have.
   
     Basically I'm a very lucky person. I hope that anyone who takes the time to read this is equally as blessed.     Thanks.