Remembering My Dad on Father's Day

When my dad was about 82 or 83, my sister and I went on a trip to England with him.  (I was mid 30s and my sister in her 40s).  My dad hobbled around and limped whenever we were together ... but on this trip, he could have sprinted around the various sites.  He never felt better and we had so much fun making a circle through southern and middle England.  

We spent several days in London, visited the country-side and some castles, Bath (an ancient Roman city that was covered by the modern city of Bath and discovered in the early 1900s), Shakespeare's home, Stonehenge, many of the royal family castles ... and many more sites!  

My dad had fun "messing" with the bobby police everywhere ... though they were not so quick to joke around.  They were way ahead of American security (in about 1996) and we noticed that everywhere we went, they were using mirrors on poles to check under cars for car bombs.

Dad also told everyone that he had been to England before ... a trip paid for by his Uncle - many years ago.  Then, he would laugh and say my "Uncle Sam."  He was in England for WWII and was camped at Stonehenge.

My dad lived from 1914 to 2000.  Five kids (one died as an infant) ... the four of us graduated from college with master's degrees ... married to my mom for over 60 years ... loved his work as a pastor, public speaker and writer ... and loved traveling in his motor home.  He was a history and family tree "nut", too.  He could remember some relative's birthday that lived and died in the 1800s but couldn't remember his own kids' birthdays.  :)

He hoped (and believed) that he would live to be 100 years old ... and he enjoyed every day of living ... though he didn't make that much anticipated 100th birthday.  He saw and lived through much tragedy but never let it get him down or change his view that God was in control and that good would eventually prevail.  He's very missed by me and my brothers and sister.