Pop...

I call my dad Pop.

Not sure where it started, but for as long as I know, I've called him Pop.

Today, February 22, he turns 80!  That puts him being born in 1932.  Wow.

80 sounds like a milestone to me.

80.  It sounds a lot different than 79 did, though that was only 365 days ago.

80.  Not in an old way.  Nothing like that actually.  Rather in a, "wow, you have had a good life if you hit 80" kind of way.  Or, in the proverbial, "wisdom comes with age" saying.  Or, even, the feeling of heightened respect for him at the passage of 80 years old.

You see, to partly understand this, you need to know that my dad had a quadruple bypass surgery when he was 56.  Since then, he also had triple bypass & numerous stints...balloons...carotid arteries situations...on & on & on.  He's been in the hospital numerous times since he was 56.

There were times that me & my sister would talk privately as to whether we thought Pop would make it from some grave situation he was facing physically.   Low & behold, he fooled us all.  because there were times I would call my sister to come into town, because "things didn't look good".

80.

My father has been (& is - now that we are almost 80 1/2 years old...going on 81) a big part of my life.  Not in loud, obtrusive ways.  No, more as in a model of strength.  As a word of encouragement or some type of word that meant something at the time.

That doesn't mean that we didn't do it right all the time, because we didn't.  There were times in my teen years that we were just not real close, for various reasons.  But, today, in looking back at my father's life & mine - it's a great thing.

Memories abound.

Old 8mm movies of my dad, in Ohio, my hometown & his too, shoveling snow & building a snowman, because me or my sister wanted him to.  Or the picture of him in the Navy...sharp.

More recent memories would be growing up fishing with him in the Chesapeake Bay for big Gray trout & flounder.  We had a blast.  We both have a citation plaque, or 2, to show off as well.

Or hunting.  Without a doubt, these would be the most fond memories of me & my dad.  Deer hunting together.  Whether locally or a trip to the mountains for opening week of deer season.

Or building.  My dad owned a construction company at one time.  I can remember working for him as a young teen.  I also will never forget us building a house together for my family.  Side note, we built that house together from clearing the lot to moving in, in 89 days!  Unheard of.  Memories of me & Pop.

Our home has several things Pop built over the years.  Leaving his mark in many ways upon our life.

There are many more...but suffice it to say - I'm proud of my father.

I'm happy to be going over his house in a few minutes to just hang out.

Love ya & I'm proud to call ya "My Pop"


Happy Birthday


G

Share this with people that might know my dad.  Use one of the share buttons below this post.  He's on Face Book (Robert Groves), look him up & tell hm happy birthday.  thanks!