A NEW YEAR'S EVE TRIBUTE

The most difficult public reading I’ve ever done occurred on January 3, 2004, at the Chas. Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. My father-in-law had died from complications related to Parkinson’s Disease on New Year’s Eve, and as my wife made phone call after phone call where she was greeted with “Happy New Year,” I sat in my mother-in-law’s living room putting together his eulogy. Although I’ve lost my original words, I still have four small notecards in my nightstand, a semi-outlined presentation of what I needed to say. In honor of my father-in-law, I’ve recreated those words. What better way to end my last post of 2006 then to pay tribute to a man I loved with all my heart and still miss. Here it is:

Parkinson’s is a funny disease. Some of you may have already heard this story; however, it’s worth telling again. One day, C___ and I went to visit her dad at his home. We knew with Parkinson’s that he had good days and bad days. On this particular day I needed to borrow a battery charger. I thought he had one, I just couldn’t recall how many volts it was or where he had kept it. All I could recall was that it was the color blue. After our visit, I told C___ “your dad was really sharp today. He told me his battery charger was on his workbench in the basement and the correct voltage and that I was more than welcome to borrow it.”

On the drive home, battery charger by my side, I had determined that he was having a good day. It didn’t matter, as C___ pointed out, that he did not know who we were on this particular occasion. It did not matter that he did not know his very own daughter or son-in-law. You see: He was willing to help out a complete stranger on that very day. That was the type of man he was—a quiet, gentle, generous man.

Parkinson’s is a funny disease. But it did not define him. It only magnified his character. In the nursing home he smoked his imaginary pipe. Why? Because he had smoked a pipe for years. He gave me imaginary money from his imaginary wallet. Why? Because he had always bought me dinner and drinks. He showed concern for his income tax. Why? Because he was an accountant for GM and didn’t want to miss his filing deadline. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t done his taxes in years. He also traveled plenty. He took his wife of 45 years on numerous cruises. He even paid for my vacation more than once. Two years ago, when he was in the nursing home, before we sprung him from the joint, he complained (but only mildly) that “this is the worst cruise ship I’ve ever stayed on.”

Although he had Parkinson’s, he never lost his motivation to walk. I can only guess that it was from all those years of waltzing with his wife. He never ever complained. He served his country in WWII. He wasn’t too fond of having his picture taken; however, earlier this week, we managed to find approximately 700 photos of him. Since he was 81, I’m sure there are even more pictures. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see parts of the DVD slide show I put together, please take a moment in celebrating his life with us. In closing: Daniel S____ will be missed, but not forgotten.

To start the new year off with a bang, I will repost my winning entry of The Thinker's 2006 Championship Round of the SYTYCB Contest (So You Think You Can Blog). Here’s to the year 2007! May we enjoy it to the fullest.