Keeping the Memories

This was supposed to be posted for Father's Day but I was bed-ridden (I'll blog about this next), so here it is:

You know the cliche, "Out of sight, out of mind"? We use this a lot in the advertising world to convince Client that if they don't make their presence felt with their consumers, their product, no matter how great, will be forgotten.

I guess the same thing goes for people in our lives.

While doing the groceries in Pioneer Center, a very unlikely place for me to bump into someone, I came across this guy, around 60 years old, salt and pepper hair, that looked so familiar. Now, why would a guy that age be a familiar face. I scanned through my memory bank -- an ex Client? dad of an old friend? an ex officemate? a board member of some company i had a shoot with? an ex boyfriend (joke!)? I got nothing.

As our shopping carts crossed, I couldn't stop staring at him and I noticed that he stared back too! I figured, I probably looked familiar to him as well. But I still couldn't place where and how I know him. We passed each other and I had the urge to look back for another look at him. I looked back and so did he!

And like a lightning bolt, it hit me. He was an officemate and a good friend of my Dad. No wonder he looked so familiar! He'd been my Dad's right hand man since I was a baby! So, I finally found the words say: "Uhm, did you used to work for (my Dad's company)?" And he says: "Yes, a long time ago." And I introduced myself as the daughter of EdMac (yes, that's how we are all called -- Macs). His eyes lit up and hugged me tight and blurted out "Anne!".

We started exchanging our "how are yous" and quick updates about my mom and brothers. He said that it'd been such a long time and then asked: "How long has it been (since my Dad passed away)?" I said: "10 years." After we said our goodbyes, that's when it hit me so hard.

It's been 10 long years since my Dad passed away. I realized, that I had moved on...moved on so much that I do not remember him as much anymore. Memories of him do not cross my mind as often as it used to. Heck, I didn't even remember to go visit him on his death anniversary!

It's breaking my heart to realize that he's REALLY not part of my life anymore. Memories of him are moving into that hard to reach corner of my mind that, believe it or not, I sometimes have difficulty trying to picture his face! I have even forgotten that I keep a picture of him in my wallet. I have stopped including him in my stories and daily conversations (My friends used to think I'm crazy (jokingly) when I'd tell them that I need to ask permission from my Dad to go out of town :-)).

So today, as my father's day gift to him, I promise to talk about him, talk to him, include him in my prayers, visit him and just remember him more often. Dad, I'm so sorry that I don't think of you as often anymore. But I know, you know how much I love you and that you're always by my side.

Happy Father's Day to my hero, and the greatest father I know -- MY DAD.

***

On a separate note, this was the first father's day that I didn't celebrate. My Dad's in heaven, the only living grandfather I had passed away last February, my father-in-law is out of the country and my husband ain't a father yet. Kinda felt weird not to have celebrated this day. Sigh. Oh but then again, I was sick, so I wouldn't have been able to anyway. Ah well, I hope you all had a wonderful time with your own fathers and cherish them while they're still around.