Dad's Day

Here's a fascinating fact:
Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. As a result of Mrs. Dodd's efforts, the first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910!
Here's another fun factoid:
The third Sunday in June wasn't designated as the official Father's Day until 1966! I was 22 years old in 1966! I'm positive my family celebrated Father's Day before then! Maybe it was "unofficially" celebrated on the third Sunday before then. Who cares? Let's move on.
I am the proud father of 4 amazing sons. Each has brought me joy and pride beyond measure. I am the luckiest Dad in the world. My only wish, is that we lived closer together.
If you're my age, you're probably remembering your father after his death. My dad passed away 10 years ago, at the age of 82. He lived 8-10 years longer than anyone else on his side of the family, so I guess he did something right. He never drank, never smoked, and never even swore! But he worried a lot. He might have lived even longer if he hadn't been such a worrywort.
My dad gave me a lot: Male pattern baldness, hypertension, hypo-thyroidism, pernicious anemia...Thanks Pa!
I'm just glad that he died before my mom did. He wouldn't have lasted 6 months without her.
His ashes were sprinkled over the graves of his parents, per his request. But my mom saved a sandwich bag full to sprinkle near the simple headstones they had purchased for each other. I went to the cemetery with her the day she spread them on the ground. I didn't expect it, but the image of her wrinkled hand, with her wedding band, spreading his ashes on the ground is indelibly etched on my brain. I don't have any idea what was going through her mind, but I got the feeling she was thinking, "Wait here, Jack. I'll be with you soon."
Four years later, we spread her ashes on the same spot.
I haven't been back there since.