In Memory of a Good Ol' Dad

I'm participating in the Happiness Project today, but in all honesty I don't feel very happy. I know it will get better so I keep on keepin' on. Tomorrow will be three years to the day since my father passed away due to complications from cancer. I miss him terribly, but thankfully I have a lot of wonderful memories of my "good ol' Dad" to help me cope with the loss. (When Dad was dying, he told us he'd be happy if when we remembered him we would say, "He was a good ol' dad." And he was, so I say that almost every time I speak of him. I think he'd get a kick out of that.)

The picture I'm sharing today is very special to me. Back in 2008, my mom and dad both worked at a call center providing customer service for a cell phone company (Mom still works there because she's a trooper). Some of the most memorable moments of the visitation we held after his death were the stories his co-workers told me. They gave me a glimpse of my father that I'd never seen. There was laughter and there were a lot of smiles from the people who spent break time and lunch time with him most often. I appreciated his co-workers so much that day. About a year after my father passed, a young man who worked at the call center with my parents emailed this picture to my mother:

Photo by Nick Savage

It's one of my favorite pictures of Dad because I know my dad, and I can tell that's a real smile.

To see him in a part of his world that I wasn't privy to. To see how devoted he was to doing the best job he could do (note all the Post-its with policy and procedure written all over them). To know someone outside of my world gave a hoot enough about him to say, "Hey, Ed! Let me take your picture!" To know that he was able to sport a real smile during mundane moments in his life... that makes me feel very happy.

What's making you feel happy today?

Until next time, may you be blessed - and inspired to pass it on!