Today is my birthday but I am not in a celebratory mood but a reflective one. It is more so because this morning my wife requested her father be removed from life support.
The old man is 87. He lived a long successful life overcoming great hardships. He used to tell me about his grandfather whom he knew who was a slave. Too often we miss the nearness of these cruelties.
My father in law joined the army to fight in Europe and fought alongside the french ( have to research why). He came back, went to college and then went back into the army for a year in the Korean War. All of that before he was even close to 30 years old.
He became a treasury agent then opened his own accounting firm and then ran for office. He served his community as mayor for 16 years before retiring. He came out of retirement and ran for city treasurer a couple of years ago and won. He had that job until his stroke last year.
He seemed to be recovering nicely until last Monday when he had a massive stroke again. I spoke to him on Sunday and he was alert but apparently had a premonition of something. He wanted me to give his golf clubs a someone who said could play better if only he had better clubs. Anyway, instead of celebrating my birthday today; I am reflecting on his life.
