Hello everyone:

Parents are frequently our unsung heroes. I thought of this as we were celebrating Father’s Day today. Happily, my father is still alive. I am excited for the opportunity to spend time with him in the autumn of his life.

I share memories that he no longer has, like how we used to drive our car on Cocoa Beach and take a picnic dinner onto the sand dunes. We would pick Dad up from his job at the Kennedy Space Center and swim in the waves until Mom had dinner ready. We would eat the meal sitting on the dropped-down tailgate of our station wagon. Sure, dinner sometimes got a little sandy but that was part of the fun.

One thing I have been doing for my grandchildren is to send them letters about their father’s growing up days. I share memories that I have and am creating a written history of his life. Many of the memories I have were of years when he was so young that he doesn’t remember them.

What did you do when you were a child? Do you remember special traditions? These are all things worth the time to write down, whether you are creating memories for your grandchildren, re-visiting your own childhood, or introducing yourself to your new spouse or significant other.

It is fun to think back on earlier years, even as we are moving forward. Do you remember times when there weren’t any cellphones (or even answerphones) and, if you weren’t home, folks simply had to wait to talk to you? Do you go back to the days of party lines, where noisy neighbors would listen in to your conversations? (I think we still have them in some ways, as people chat loudly on their cellphones as they walk in public places. We only hear their half of the conversation but can usually piece together what’s happening. They are our modern version of party lines!)

What special memories do you have of growing up on this Father’s Day Sunday?

Best,

Dr. Sheri