Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Not only is today 9/11 and you better believe I will tell my students where I was and how things happened on this day 23 years ago – that doesn’t seem possible, does it? – but it’s a birthday, too…
It doesn’t seem possible that we have been missing my Dad for almost 6 years. Today would have been his 82nd birthday.
My Dad proudly wearing his Air Force cap while frying curly fries in the fried turkey oil at Thanksgiving – ha! He would make this as an appetizer?
He has been on my mind a lot lately. I still find pennies so often! I hear myself in his sayings that I use in class or with my friends and family. I would like to think I offer his type of sage advice to friends and family, too?
When my mom was sick this summer, my sister Kate got the strongest hit of his cologne. Do you believe in things like that? I do.
In another weird timing story…
My Dad was really close with his cousins and I got to see one of them last October at a wedding. I had texted the cousin a photo I took of he and his wife and just got a response thanking me for it and saying it was good to see me. This text came in literally like 10 months after the wedding but it came in on my Dad’s birthday week. Here is what he wrote:
Isn’t that the nicest thing to receive? Do you believe in timing?
And, now I finally started The Women (on his birthday week) which reminds me so much of my Dad. They even use some of his expressions in the book! My Dad was a forward air controller in Vietnam before I was born.
If you are on a grief journey, I would say that I laugh more than I cry now. I like him to be talked about (and sometimes get upset when people don’t) and it makes me happy. I can tell funny stories. I’m happy that I had such a great Dad!
So, in honor of his birthday today, I would ask this of you and me:
Get excited about the little things! Laugh at a funny name or something funny! Don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember that there are 3 sides to every story – yours, mine, and the truth – one my Dad’s favorite proverbs. I would like to think that I have some of his best qualities.
And now for Hodgepodge with Joyce…
1. When the Hodgepodge lands on September 11th I want to acknowledge that. Will you purposely pause to remember, pray, or attend any sort of ceremony on 9/11? Share any thoughts or memories you’d like to share about this day.
I will talk about it at the beginning of each class. I hope that my principal will have a moment of silence in the morning announcements but I am not sure.
2. Growing up, did you spend a lot of time with your grandparents? What’s something you learned from a grandparent?
I didn’t get to live in the same city as any grandparent. I also didn’t have any Grandpas. One passed away before I was born and one was estranged and I really only saw him/met him once or twice?
I learned how to make mashed potatoes from my Dad’s mom and she was the one I was closest to as a child.
3. What’s your go-to breakfast?
I love eggs! Right now, it’s my Amy McMuffins that I can grab and go with. In the summer I love scrambled eggs with vegetables. I am definitely not a sweet breakfast person. Ok, I can have a bite of something sweet after my savory.
4. Tell us the story behind one of your favorite photos.
There’s so much joy in this photo! I had a mini van (Marty!) from the time my twins were 3 until they were in 8th grade. I loved it! It had so many road trip memories and Tom became a total van convert, too. He used it to go to Home Depot! So.much.space!
Anyway, they figured out they could sit in the back bench seat rather than the captain’s chairs in the middle and as I was driving they released the seat and flipped backwards. When we stopped I snapped a picture.
It was summer! They have their cute little tan lines! They are in their rash guards and trunks! They are the best of friends and I can still hear their cute laughter! I guess we were on the way home from the pool or to the pool. They were at that sweet spot where I could lounge and read and they could swim! Ha!
5. This week Friday lands on the 13th. Are you superstitious in any way? Do you like scary movies, and if so what’s your favorite?
I am not into scary movies. My real life is scary enough. I teach high school. I am superstitious and try not to purposely walk under a ladder or let a black cat cross me.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I feel like I used up all my random thoughts.
Thanks for reading!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
Oh I LOVED The Women! I listened to that audiobook in just 2 days… and hardly got anything else done around the house. How fitting that some of your dads sayings are in the story! It’s wonderful that you have such sweet memories of him.
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I loved reading about your dad! He was so handsome. I do believe in little gifts from God to comfort us regarding when we lose our loved ones, and I absolutely believe in the sovereignty of timing; you needed that text at that moment, so that was probably the Lord comforting you. I love talking about my dad; even though his death is more recent, I want to make it a normal thing to talk about him often. He wasn’t perfect, but I have so much of his thoughts and words ingrained in my heart. People may get tired of how much I talk about him, but it’s helping me right now. I will say it again: I am so glad he’s not here to see what I’m having to go through! He would be tempted to rise up from the grave and throat punch someone on my behalf. (Not really, he was the opposite of that, but he would definitely express his deep disappointment in him.) I love that picture of your sweet boys! I loved those days too. Have a great (not super scary) day!
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I can relate to that. I don’t think my dad would have handled the pandemic and the politics very well that we have seen in the last 6 years!
Thank you!
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I love that message your cousin sent and I absolutely believe in timing. I will say that I am sort of in that spot in my grief journey too where I can recall happy memories without crying. Being in NJ this summer brought up a lot of memories of my dad.
I am still reading The Women. I have been for some time, I have been so busy I haven’t been able to finish it.
The picture of your sweet boys – I love that!!!! So precious!
xo,
Kellyann
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I love the little details about your dad. And I’ve heard that proverb and he ain’t wrong! Hope you have a great day.
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I love the picture of your dad and hearing your stories about him ❤️ Every time we have rented a mini van we wonder why we don’t own one! The last time we rented one it was to move my daughter back to college. We took out the middle seats and it was cavernous!
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Thank you for sharing your dad’s wise words. He was obviously a great man. I hope you are surrounded by love and happiness today. ❤️
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Oh Amy, I love the way you write and talk about your Dad. It’s obvious how much you adored him, he sounds wonderful. Any man that serves curly fries as an appetizer is a genius in my book, ha!
And it’s nice to hear that you now laugh ore than you cry when thinking about him. Not quite there in regards to my Mom, but it’s definitely better. Grief is not a linear progression, so some moments still catch me off guard. Hope your Dad continues to say hi. ❤
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Oh gosh! I can still remember what I was doing when the news about 9/11 broke here in the UK. It still doesn’t seem real all these years later.
How wonderful to read about your dad. He sounded like a very wise man.
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I do believe sometimes God gives us a word of comfort or wisdom or assurance at just the right moment, often through another person. My dad died young and we all miss him still. My daughters were toddlers when he died and I’m sad they didn’t get to know him more. We tell all the stories though! He was a career Marine and was in Vietnam my whole third grade school year. I’m glad you talk to your high school kids about 9/11. There’s so much messaging that is anti-America right now, but on this day we were united in our shock and our grief. Cute pic of your kids!!
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I loved seeing the picture of your sweet dad. I am glad you talk about him and honored his legacy on his birthday today. I believe in timing and that text was great timing. Hope it was a good day!
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We had a moment of silence today. Such a somber day.
All of your thought on your dad had me in my feelings! Such sweet sentiments. I love the cologne story. I definitely believe in signs / timing
Love the pic of your boys. Such a cute story.
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I do believe in signs. I get them more from my mom…a whiff of her cologne usually. My dad has been gone for 50 years, so, yeah, I was really young and don’t have lots and lots of memories of him. The ones I have are precious.
I will never ever forget that day for so many reasons. My husband was actually on a plane in NYC on 9/11. He saw the first tower on fire and saw a plane where it shouldn’t have been. To this day, he’s not sure if it was the second plane or not. I was a sobbing mess (oh, and it was my student teacher’s first day ever) because he always flew through Pittsburgh. His itinerary was on the refrigerator at home. When he finally called the school, he had no idea I’d been trying to reach him. My students were wonderful and tried to console me as best they could even though they had no idea (nor did I) what was going on.
Leaving on a positive note…love the photo of your sons! It’s so obvious they were and still probably are the greatest of friends!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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I enjoyed your answers. Your amy mcmuffin sounds good. I love eggs too, in many forms.
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