It is interesting how much things change — even on a personal level — as time goes by.
In our family, August was always a month of celebration because it seemed like practically everybody among the aunts and uncles — as well some of my cousins — had birthdays during the month of August. I guess it has something to do with those long cold dark winters up north!
Do the math...
Anyway...
Today, August 6th, would have been my dad's birthday if he were still alive.
Of course he's long gone because he died shortly after my 18th birthday. Had he still been alive he would actually have been 106 years old today!
There's something slightly surreal about contemplating the fact that I would have a 106-year old parent. No matter how you turn it I guess it also is an indication that I'm starting to get a bit long in the tooth myself!
But, speaking of change, while August used to be a month of celebration for me — even though I wasn't really big into the whole parties and being social thing — August has now become more of a month for reflection and remembrance.
The thing is, every single person I knew back then and whom we celebrated with their August birthday has since passed away with the exception of myself. And so all these dates... August 3rd, August 6th, August 11th, August 18th, August 21st, August 24th, August 28th, August 29th, and myself on August 30th... don't hold quite the same meaning they once did.
We often talk about the degree to which we "get to leave our mark on the world." To some extent, I'd submit that the fact that somebody still remembers our birthday even after we've passed away would be one measure of having left a mark. Or, at least, it would be a measure that somebody somewhere did actually care.
Of these August birthdays perhaps the one that means the most to me is August 11th which was the birthday of my auntie whom I often mention in my posts. In many ways, she had more of an impact on shaping me as a human being than my own dad did.
Even so, I do have fond memories of celebrating my dad's birthday, almost inevitably at my auntie's summer house because that was the most relaxing and festive place we had... and it also meant a lot to him. Perhaps I remember these birthdays as well because they happened during the month of August, and generally that meant that they were observed when I was not in school.
I often look back and think of my childhood as having two "seasons:" school and not being in school.
I suppose it's a shame that I never really got to know my dad as an adult person. It has been a long time since I was 18 and my memory is not as sharp as it once was and it is slightly odd to consider the fact that my dad has actually been dead more than twice as long as I knew him in living life.
Sometimes I reflect on it feeling like a bit of a shame that he never got to experience "retired life," because there were so many things he wanted to do once he "had more time." I suppose it is an object lesson that we should enjoy life as much as possible whenever we have the opportunity, because you just never know what's going to happen next!
From what I do remember of him, I know that he would really have enjoyed watching all the progress in technology!
And, with that thought, I suppose I'd better get back to my own version of life and the myriad things clamoring for my attention!
Thanks for visiting and sharing in this small moment of life's journey.
Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! I do my best to answer comments, even if it sometimes takes a few days!
Greetings bloggers and social content creators! This article was created via PeakD, a blogging application that's part of the Hive Social Content Experience. If you're a blogger, writer, poet, artist, vlogger, musician or other creative content wizard, come join us! Hive is a little "different" because it's not run by a "company;" it operates via the consensus of its users and your content can't be banned, censored, taken down or demonetized. And that COUNTS for something, in these uncertain times! So if you're ready for the next generation of social content where YOU retain ownership and control, come by and learn about Hive and make an account!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly and uniquely for this platform — NOT posted anywhere else!)
Created at 2024-08-06 15:50 PDT
1191/2448
