The Greatest Generation
June 6, 2009
D-Day…this date goes down in history!
If you are over the age of 50 or so, you may remember your father talking about this day in 1944. My father spoke of the war often. It was a very impressionable experience, at a very impressionable stage of his life. But for many, more than I can imagine, this day brings pangs of sorrow. I am 60 years old now, and I can still see my Dad at the kitchen table telling stories about the war and this memorable day! Tears come to my eyes, thinking about how much I miss this man in my life.
My Dad was a captain in WWII; he was 26 years old in 1944. It was at a time in his life that should have been full of fun, a time of planning for the future: raising a family and developing a career. Instead, for hundreds of thousands of people, it was a time of uncertainty and torment. It was a time of death and destruction. It was a time, when the words of Franklin Roosevelt echoed in our ears… that we have:
“Nothing to fear, but fear itself.”
Thanks to my Dad, who was a “walking encyclopedia” of history, I became more grateful, more aware of how lucky I am. When I was upset growing up, my Dad tried to comfort us the best he knew how. With natural, male difficulty expressing emotion, my Dad always said,
“It could always be worse.”
Those words have had a significant impact on my life. Those words have helped me control my “pity parties.” Those words are now a part of me.
Thank you, Dad, for everything. Thank you for your wisdom and courage.
5 years ago today was my father’s wake. A coincidence? Maybe. But symbolically, it helped my family celebrate a life worth emulating, a life we sometimes took for granted. My dad never wanted any pomp and circumstance regarding his life. He never wanted that 21 gun salute. He was a humble and charitable man. But in my heart, he will always be a “hero.”
I opened Golden Elders, Inc. in honor of my dad and my mom, who died last summer. They are my inspiration! In honor of them, I want to help take care of their generation, “the greatest generation.”