Gift of a Lifetime

Friends and family have been calling for the last few days asking how my 80th birthday was. I’ve told them all that it was the best birthday I’ve ever had. They wanted to know what I got as a present. I told them it was the best gift I’ve ever gotten. 

It wasn’t a thing. It wasn’t stuff. It was a framed collection called “Dad’s Greatest Hits.” It listed the memories of my three children, which they read and presented to me with gusto. It has 43 thoughts and quotes. Allow me to give you a feel for it.

It was printed on salmon colored paper because a few years ago, I loved to wear salmon colored pants that they enjoyed ridiculing. 

The first thing they read to me from the salmon paper was, “Don’t worry about what others think.” 

They wrote that I took them to school and told them, “I GET to do this.”

I admonished my daughter about the importance of getting a B in school because she was always the perfect A student.

They recalled that I got up with them at night if they were sick. I coached their sports teams, went to their games, and taught them how to swing a bat by yelling, “Put your belly button into it!”

When my daughter pitched softball, I yelled, “Mow those little girls down!” It probably embarrassed her, but she has talked about it for 40 years.

They wrote down the serious things, too. Like, “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” “Let your wife know how much you love her,” “Learning is expensive,” and “Write down the bones.”

A few I especially liked were, “Every day is gravy” and “have a daily gratitude and prayer practice.” One I’ll never forget is, “Always stand up for the 7th inning stretch and sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’”

I laughed and cried a little as they read them joyfully. After hearing all of them, I took the time to compliment each person there and cry a bit more. 

Forget the birthday sweaters. This was a gift that celebrated a lifetime.

Question: What is the most unforgettable gift you have ever received?