Ode

We lost a best friend, a best man.

The cornrows in the winter fields, remind me of his legacy, both past and future, and the many people affected by his integrity and compassion.  The rows in the winter stand in silence, to hold together the earth, until we plant in the spring and start anew.

He taught us to not complain, except about our backs, and guided us with the persistence and perseverance to use our gifts to lead others.

I imagine a thousand cardinals flying somewhere these days with names like, Musial, Brock, Pujols, Ozzie Smith, Hrabosky, the legend of Dizzy Dean.  Dad knew them all.

I spent a lot of time in conversation with Dad over the past couple of years.  But last Wednesday we were listening to the basketball game on the radio while he ate dinner and the last thing he said to me, and this was in regards to the game announcers, was that “sometimes they make things up.”

The second to last thing Dr. John said to me was, “What’s new, Charles?”  He had made me laugh two more times.

Dad had meticulous attention to the maintenance of all those cars for as long as I can remember. Last Sunday evening, during the football game to see who would play the Green Bay Packers for the Vince Lombardi trophy, he was talking about the van and the tires and a $1.60.  He said he had two twenties, and that he had to include money for gas at 98 cents per gallon.  From his chair, he reached down for this extra change several times.

I asked what year and he said it was “1989.”  He was repeating that the right rear tire should be checked.

I realized he was giving me advice about taking care of the car, one more time, and how much it would cost, right down to the sales tax.

That was one week after he gave me a clean summary of how to accommodate special education students in the general education classroom, his last advice for my homework assignment and fieldwork. And I realized, that during his career, there were always kids who needed second or third chances and the urgency of that situation.  And that we all have had many chances to find opportunities and build on what we already know about ourselves.  That was his philosophy with us.  That we can do it and that we did, and that he taught us to catch that football or coached us on how to run the show.