Remembering Together · 11 February 2017
Photo courtesy of Russell Miyoshi
I am not exactly sure if it is a tradition or rite, but we remembered my dad on the anniversary of his death.
It might sound sort of morbid from a certain point of view, but remembering a loved one on any day is actually a good thing. Sure, it might bring a tear or two or even a deluge, but remembering somebody fondly is good for the soul. As is the crying. And remembering to remember somebody on any specific day is, at the very least, therapeutic. Whether it is a tradition or rite or just because.
My mom wanted all of our family to remember my dad on the first anniversary of his death. So while we could not gather in person, we had an audio and then a video gathering. It was interesting seeing my siblings on several phones on the dining room table where we grew up. It was both new and nostalgic. It was difficult to hear everything going on, but it was nice to be there. Even virtually.
My wife told one of her favorite jokes that my dad used to tell. Something about cowboys and pickup trucks. It is family friendly and appropriate (mostly), but I am not allowed to tell jokes. Oh, it is not a prohibition by anybody else, I just know that I can set up the joke or remember the punch line, but never the twain shall meet. So it is an unwritten rule that I do not tell jokes. Online or in person.
At any rate…
Well even after the joke, it seems we did not do that much direct remembering, but enough to make my mom cry. And enough for the rest of us to at least tear up. I know that we all remember Dad more than fondly. We might even sit like him and talk like he is still around. Certainly, we all miss him more than we could have ever imagined. But we also know we will see him again someday.
(If you know me at all, you know that this would be a great time to add a little something about God and the love and leadership of Jesus, but I will refrain. And yes, I think parentheses make the words invisible. But that is a different story.)
Like I said in the beginning. I am not exactly sure whether it is a tradition or a rite, but I am glad that we took the time to remember my dad on the anniversary of his death. It was good to be together. Even digitally. And it was good to remember Dad.
© 2017 Michael T. Miyoshi
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