July 9 was my father’s birthday. He passed away a few years ago, but I think about him almost every day. One of the first things I see when I open my eyes in the morning is one of his dog tags, hanging by its silver chain from a shelf in my bedroom.
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| 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″, drawn with an old Sheaffer calligraphy pen from the 1960s + Tombow marker |
He served in the US Air Force for 26 years, and many of those years were spent in places like Japan, Turkey, Greece, and Africa, far, far away from home and family. Those times were probably really hard on my mother, but she kept things fairly normal for us while we waited for Daddy to come home.
What I remember are the good times we had when we were all together, laughing and joking over dinner, camping in our tiny little pop-up trailer, traveling to see new places, and sharing the everyday life of a happy family. Our last few years were kind of difficult, with surgeries, hospital stays, and lots of challenges, but looking at that dog tag, all I remember are those younger days when he was the man in my life, the one who meant the world to me.
One Comment
What a very touching image and reflection here about your Father. I have enjoyed sketching some things of my father's in the past, and I think of him often. I really like how you captured the shadows under the chain – it really makes it pop!
I can see that I have missed much that you have posted this summer. You sure have been busy!!