Reflecting on Mentors, Revisited

I'm thinking about my family elders who have passed.

As is common for all of us, I was shaped by these early mentors. While I'm NOT a painter, I certainly appreciate art, and the framed painting shown here was created by my paternal grandmother. I've shared a bit about her over the years, including this past post published when my mother died.

My father died recently, of congestive heart failure. And while I'm missing him terribly, he had a nice, long life (91) and was calm and comfortable in his final hours. It's always hard to say goodbye, but I'm reflecting now on all the influences he had on my life over the years.

Dad was a birder. Before he became nearly blind, he could identify most common native Midwestern birds by sight, and he recognized many of them by song, as well.

He was a scouting executive during my formative years, so we spent a lot of time at outdoor scouting events.

He appreciated, and cared about, the natural world. And he worked, played, and volunteered in several capacities over the years to show respect for it, and to help sustain it.

I could go on for many paragraphs about what a great papa and person he was and how much I miss him, but a short synopsis is that he was a very good man. I apologize for being away from blogging for a bit, but I'm slowly working my way back.

Hold tight to those you love, and listen to their stories. You will treasure them when they pass.