They say you should age gracefully
And I suppose that there really isn’t any other choice
It isn’t as if aging itself can be avoided
It is a humbling thing
Aging
My father’s hands which once soldered tiny circuit boards
Now shake too much for delicate tasks
Simple tasks like bending over to retrieve a ball
Or getting up from a bench
Much harder now
Taking extra effort
Having to repeat something because he can’t quite hear it the first time
I see him standing there
And while I know this daily process of aging bothers him
The inevitable losses
Some abrupt and some so subtle you don’t notice at first
His body often betraying him
All I see is grace
The tenderness of heart that makes him cry
His loud laugh
So quick to give
Even to absolute strangers
The gentleness which allows him to take photos of birds
And put up with the antics of the squirrels
Who steal food from the bird feeders
His utter love for his grandchildren
The devotion he has for my mom
How much they rely on one another
Despite some lifelong struggles
The hard things in his childhood I will not name
Growing up in Nebraska
His mother’s death when he was young
Raised by his grandparents
And loved by the godly couple who had adopted his mom
He joined the navy and married my mom
An officer’s daughter from Massachusetts
Her grandfather the mayor of Waltham
She married this enlisted sailor
Traveling the globe together
Scotland, Guam, and Okinawa
Doing well by his family
Becoming a chief in the navy
Raising three daughters
They say you should age gracefully.
Perhaps this is only possible
By the good and perfect grace of God
Thankful for the grace I see
Reflected in him
My father’s hands only shake a little
As he pours a glass of milk
To give to his grandson
Wind and the Waves 
Joy
I’ve had the privilege of knowing your dad since Sept or Oct 1964 when we first met at the chapel at Kamiseya, Japan. I was 18 & he 19!
He became my mentor in the Faith for the next 2+ years! We have been able to keep in touch all these years & more so during the
Last 10.
I value his friendship so much and it has been neat for me & my wife to be more involved with your Dad & Mom!
I am so thankful for your relationship with our Lord and your honoring your parents, especially since Ruthie & Sarah are struggling. I pray for all of you fairly regularly as I have you in my phone calendar!
I met you once when I visited you all in Sept 1972 just before you left for Guam. Hope I have the opportunity to see you again and meet your family. Please contact me if you are ever in East Tenn. my cell 423-677-2299.
May our Lord continue to bless you an your family!
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Lester, such a nice tribute. She “nailed it.”
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Joy, this is beautiful! I can relate so much to my brother. Though we did not grow up in the same house, we have much in common. Those godly grandparents that adoped Mom, took me in as an infant. I lived there till I was 7. I won’t go in to what my life was like after that. Like your dad, age is showing on me as well. You wrote so beautifully about your father and his heart and his love for his family. You are a real blessing to him. Thank you
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