The Man That Starts Anew

Tomorrow is my father’s birthday and tomorrow, in accordance with that which most will call it and what is accepted as the norm; my Dad will retire after forty odd years as one of the employed. Being my Dad and, I am proud to say, not of the norm he is not retiring but rather “embarking on his new career.” For his own private reasons my Dad will be tackling something completely different to what has become his “line of work” and will no doubt succeed, not for any reason other than he knows he will succeed. Growing up in the light of that positive attitude and his unshakable belief in his own and our abilities has given us all a firm starting block from which we, his children have launch off into adulthood. My brother’s and I have been infused from birth with my Dad’s positive energy and belief in us and though we have all made our share of mistakes and encountered our share of stumbling blocks we can all hold our heads up high look back and know we are who we are because we were taught to believe in ourselves. How lucky we were to grow up in such a positively charged environment. It is our Dad we turn to for advice and guidance and in times of hardship what our dad would do is what we strive to achieve. My Dad is not the kind of man who will tell you what to do; he shows you what to do, I can proudly say with certainty that there is no other quite like my Dad. So armed with his positive attitude and guided by his self confidence my Dad is forging forward, making some well deserved and much needed changes and doing something new. He is a brave man my Dad! Amongst all this bravery is a lesson to others, like myself, to never be afraid of change, to do something different because it’s what you want to do and to do it for yourself!

My Dad is taking his leave from a company that has been as loyal to him as he has been to them. He has given one hundred percent of himself every day for almost thirty years, perhaps more. So many people have sat across from him and been affected by his work ethic, his attitude or his seamless logic in some way. I have no doubt that there will be a few tears shed as he leaves his place of employment one final time. I cannot begin to imagine the emotions and thoughts that must be going on inside my Dad’s mind and heart today as he celebrates his birthday and looks towards his new beginnings, his new “line of work.” I do know that Tuesday morning will dawn and he will follow his regular morning routine, a little more casually than before then he will take a deep breath and step forward out of his past and into his future. He is a brave man, my Dad!

When my Dad finally made his decision to “start his new career” official my very talented mum’s imaginative mind kick into gear and she come up with a plan to mark this day as a day to remember. My Dad’s decision to make these changes was not a decision taken lightly or arrived at with any haste; it is after all a big “step” to take, emotional too. My very talented Mum believes that we, his family need to acknowledge this and not only show our support but also celebrate it. As part of this celebration she asked me to write a poem to commemorate the occasion, I was happy to oblige but agonised over what to write so in desperation I asked my Mum to make list words which remind her of my Dad. Her response was: “Integrity, honesty, love, compassion, deep thinker, wonderful provider, loving husband and friend. Best father ever.” Nothing describes my Dad more than those words nor will anything I ever write carry the depth of the love and respect we have for my dad than the words of my Mum written to help me speak of my Dad in poetry. Testament to this fact is the pleasure and joy my very talented Mum gained from arranging what I have come to refer to as my Dad’s “ Surprise retirement/career launch dinner breakfast midnight snack” because from across four different time zones via that marvellous invention called “SKYPE” my Dad will be surrounded by his family in celebration. It will be a bitter sweet moment for us all, happy to be there with him in some way but sad because we can, none of us, be there in person. We will laugh, joke and swop stories interrupt and talk over each other my mum leading the festivities, my dad sitting back observing the goings on his eyes twinkling as he smiles. Then when we have said our goodbyes my parents will read this blog and the poem I wrote and like all their children will store it away in their memory to look back on when it no longer hurts so much to remember and return to their lives.

So Dad as you read this remember that “you will always be the first man I remember and the last man I’ll forget.” I lift my glass to you and thank God that you are my Dad and while I wish you happiness I do not wish you luck in your new venture because I know you will succeed because we, your family believe in you.