Father’s Day — By Tommy Purser

Fathers’ Day Sunday was decidedly special for me for a number of reasons.
Two of my three children came to our home to help me celebrate the occasion — my oldest, Laura, was unable to be there because she and her husband were somewhere in the skies returning to the United States after a 3-week vacation in Europe. More on that later.
The good wife and I were especially pleased that our special nephew, Kenny, made the trip to Hazlehurst all the way from his home in California. Kenny is special to us because when the good wife and I were just teenagers, we carried diaper-clad Kenny with us on trips to Danny’s Dairy Bar and other teenage hangouts in Waynesboro. I may not be Kenny’s father but the good wife and I helped raise him in Waynesboro while his single dad was away traveling the world as a career Navy man. Yes, we did a lot to help raise him. Come to think of it, he’s more of a son to me than he is a nephew, so his visiting us on Fathers’ Day Sunday was quite appropriate, indeed.
Three of my five grandchildren came to visit as well and a fourth gave me a call from his home in South Carolina to wish me a happy Fathers’ Day to make the occasion extra special. (The fifth grandchild is just 17 and, at that age, being a teenager is far more important than traveling two hours to see your aging grandpa.)
Sunday was my grandson Braydon’s first Fathers’ Day as a father himself and he brought with him my first great-grandchild Marianna. I know I may be prejudiced but for the life of me I can’t see how any baby can be any more adorable than she is.
Back to Kenny — he brought with him my and the good wife’s sister-in-law. It was her first visit to Hazlehurst since she lost her husband — Kay’s brother. With his passing, Kay is the last of four siblings in her family to still be alive. Sally brought with her the memory of Kay’s final brother, so it was special to have her visit, especially for the good wife.
In the last year or so, I’ve been battling age-related problems that have brought me more and more aware of my mortality — nothing serious but nonetheless a stark reminder that I have lived far more days than I have left on this earth. That’s a sobering thought that all of us at some point will experience, are experiencing or have experienced in the past.
Such stark reminders of our mortality make special occasions — like Fathers’ Day — all that more special. As my age advances, I realize that I don’t have all that many special days ahead of me. So each one I enjoy more and more.
As I age, I find myself increasingly appreciative of the good things in my life, the truly special things like children, grandchildren and, now for me, great-grandchildren.
I’m especially thankful to have the good wife with me to lovingly help me through this old-age process. I don’t tell her enough how fortunate I feel to have someone like her to help me through his process.
A bit of old man advice to those readers who are younger than I am — cling closely to those you love and who love you, too. Only the good Lord knows how much longer you’ll have those special people to cling to.
l to have someone like her as a partner in this journey, especially as thejourney gets so much more difficult to travel.
A bit of old man advice to readers who are not as far along in their journey as I am — cling closely and lovingly to those who love you. You will appreciate them more and more as your journey continues.