Happy Father's Day

Synergy:
"The working together of two or more things, people, or organizations, especially when the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities."

Happy Father's Day to all of you reading this who are Dads and/or Grandfathers. I hope you have a blessed day with your families. For our family, Father's Day is very different now than it was in the past. In the early years of our marriage John and I would drive to my parents and celebrate with my Dad and Mom, and our kids. John's Dad had passed away when he was 16, and so it wasn't as complicated for us as for those who had to share their attention on that day. Then, with the passing of time, there was one Dad left; John. We always tried to give John a special day, though he preferred serving others, making it difficult to get him to let us "do" for him and serve him. On a sad day, June 3, 2007, Father's Day changed for us. Then there were none. John was gone from among us. Each passing Father's Day we have had a time of sharing memories about John, who was in our opinion, one of the best Dad's ever. This year I was sitting at the computer typing out some comments to be shared at a special graduation of students who were mentored academically, and socially in a group called GWAYO. Some, if interested, worked with spiritual mentors. Working with kids was a life long commitment of John's and so with it being Father's Day, and what I was doing, I already was thinking about him. I had WTTW, channel 11 on in the background, listening to The Canadian Tenors; beautiful! As I sat here typing, reflecting, and listening (more than two things obviously in the formula of synergy) a remarkable moment of "something bigger than the parts" occurred. The Tenors began to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". I was immediately transported back to that pre-Father's Day June 3rd, 2007. I sat in the kitchen listening to Mark, sitting at his Dad's bedside, singing and playing his guitar. He sang this song. The lyrics weren't the thing that I remember best today, although the last stanza sticks with me:

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

"I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah"
(and then the chorus, repeating Hallelujah 17 more times follows.)

Two things crystallized in my memory in those moments. First, it is the memory of my first born, singing the song Hallelujah over and over to his Dad on the day that John closed his eyes on Earth and opened in them Glory. There, he heard his Heavenly Father, say, "Welcome home Son". Calm overtook my soul that day as I realized that John had lived his life as a Hallelujah to his God. Hearing these words again today, I was reminded of a handsome young man, unsure of his way, and floundering just a bit at age 17. Then, the memory of an even more handsome tall, think young groom of 21, standing beside me making promises to God and me that he never broke. Another really strong memory followed of an emotional (and maybe a little frightened) 26 year old, standing beside me, holding our first born in his arms, stopping to say, "let's pray for him right now Cheryl; God has entrusted him to us!". And we did pray for Mark Christopher; the first of many prayers to follow. That is the young man who helped care for his Dad during his last days, and then sat singing him into Eternity. John's life goes on in our children Mark (his first born), Jennifer (his special little girl), and Matthew (his Father's Day gift in 1978), and in the lives of his beloved grandchildren, Felicia, Isabel, Alex, and Tao.

The second thing I thought of was what John is doing today. I believe he is standing before his Father, singing Hallelujah, words of praise and gratitude for the one who gave him the gift of life, family, purpose, and meaning. But most of all the gift of Eternal Life and an eternity in God's presence. And the words and melody are perfect! Happy Father's Day John! Happy Father's Day Heavenly Father.