Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Dad turns 80

Legacy

To begin each day
early and with purpose

To know the first secret of life
showing up

To imagine results
before they’re achieved

To plant and harvest
hunt and dress

To build monuments
outlasting us all

To have loved and lost
remembered both

To guide those who’ll listen
Give back where needed

To balance the certainty of faith
with the magic of wonder

To create a legacy and pass it along

Arriving a commoner, retiring a king

This is a life well lived

My Dad turned 80 this month. We have never pretended to understand each other well, but I've grown to love and respect him. He can't imagine a hobby that doesn't involve firearms or power tools, and I can't imagine a waking moment without the joy of language. Here's to genetic mutations.