The Cost Of Forgetting

That picture there is my dad, taken long ago when he was just another Catholic school lad in Bay City. He says this school picture here is a favorite of his. How it got here on my blog is another story.

Last Sunday was my dad’s birthday. Ordinarily I send him a card, but this year I forgot. No excuses--I just plum forgot. So I thought I would call him up on Sunday and wish him a happy 77th. Before I could call that day, my mother called me. So I confessed I hadn’t sent dad a card.

“He was checking the mailbox yesterday for birthday cards,” my mother said. (Guilt level rising.)

So my father came on the phone and I wished him happy birthday. He said that since he hadn’t received a card from me, he thought maybe I was going to wish him a happy birthday on my blog instead. Uh, no. That wasn’t my plan. (Guilt level still rising.)

He explained that his favorite picture of himself as a youngster was missing. He and ma had searched for it, but it was nowhere to be found. So he thought I must have absconded with it, intending to feature it here on his birthday. It made sense, since I know my dad is the most frequent visitor to my blog. But the thought of doing so hadn’t crossed my mind. (Still rising).

Then this past Monday, I received an e-mail from my sister. She said she had stopped by our folks house after I had spoken to them. In her e-mail she wrote, “I bought dad a "DAD" coffee mug since the one he had for several years had broke. (Guilt at extreme level now) Also threw in a jar of Black Cherry jam. Black Cherry was always his favorite ice cream.” (Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!)

She added that our mother had given her that picture of my father some time ago, but mom had forgotten she’d done so. Missing picture mystery solved. Hmmmmmmmm, guess I’ve inherited my mom’s forgetful genes (Guilt level stabilizing). My sister suggested that she scan that picture of my father and e-mail it to me so I still could publish it in a blog That would make things right again. (Guilt level dropping, dropping . . . )

That’s the story of how the picture appears on my blog. Happy belated birthday, dad. And thanks to my sister and her hubby who scanned the picture into their home computer. She said she had time as she had the day off from work so she and my brother-in-law could celebrate their wedding anniversary yesterday.

Oh, oh. Did I remember to wish her a happy anniversary? (Guilt level rising again)