Retirement

My Dad's retirement party was Thursday of this week. He has been an engineer with the City of Chesapeake for 36 years! I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

It occurred to me that my Dad has always been the fan, never the celebrity. He came to our games, to the plays I was in, cheered us on in the milestones of our lives. Specifically, he was there to celebrate the most significant moments of my life. The births of each of my children, my wedding, my ordination, my graduations, my first and last days at my former church, the launching of PCC, the dedication of our building. I could go on and on, but when a significant moment comes, Dad comes to cheer me on.

The question came without warning: When do we ever cheer Dad on? I'm sorry it's taken me 40 years to see this glaring deficiency. Maybe you can see some hole like this in a relationship in your life.

It took a lot of effort to hold back the tears, as the City Manager, the City Engineer, and other dignitaries talked about the contribution my Dad had made in their lives and careers, and in the community I affectionately call 'home'. I looked around and saw a huge crowd from my family, gathered there to cheer on the quiet celebrity who has always been among us.

It's about time that Dad was the celebrity. It's an Emmy he has long deserved, but that has been awarded to others (mostly his kids and grandkids) for decades. Finally, he was recognized for his unmatched contribution. There is no one in my life like him, and it is an unspeakable blessing to call him Dad.