HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

~ Happy 87th Birthday Dad ~

If my father saw this picture he would say that those were the happiest times of his life. He was so proud of his family his buttons would pop! He worked very hard to give us everything we could ever want. He started out by being an usher at a local movie theatre in his neighborhood around 26th & Pulaski in Chicago called the Atlantic. Before you know it he was the manager and back then that was a pretty good thing. The sad thing about his job is that the owners always promised things but he never got them. (no retirement either) He was actually approached by a theatre owner in California years ago wanting him to move there and run their movie theaters. He turned them down because he didn't want to move us away from our friends and family. Family is and always will be #1 to him.

He could tell you story after story about those years in show business. Movies were a big deal back then, not like today where you have mega theaters everywhere. He would be in downtown Chicago at movie screenings all the time. The Elvis Presley fan club of Chicago use to hold their monthly meetings there. He had been invited to visit Elvis at his home one weekend but he turned that down too. Lana Turner also asked him to visit when he was in town. Back in the day he had Sonny & Cher on the stage there before they were big. We spent a lot of time there and that is where my appreciation for movies grew.

We made a trip to California once and had passes to some of the studios. I remember meeting Jay North who played Dennis the Menace on TV and I got to look through the camera on the set. We also saw Jerry Lewis making his movie Visit to a Small Planet (1960). I also remember staying in the hotel room because my parents did some tour that kids were not allowed to go.

He always says he could write a book and I tell him to write it all down but he says he can't do it anymore with his hands. I can only remember so many of them. He has a heart of gold and has been missing the love of his life, my mother, for 28 years now. Even at 87 he is sharp, still mails out every ones birthday cards in the family, drives and lives alone.

Here he is with Skye last October.

Little by little I see the changes coming and I cry. When my mother died of a sudden heart attack it was horrible but you go through all the steps and move forward. I often wonder if it's easier to suddenly lose your parent or to watch them grow old. This is breaking me to my core. I fear the day that he won't know me anymore. He and I are best buddies even though we live miles away. I love him with all my heart. Hopefully I can get to Florida in a few weeks to visit with him and do our favorite thing which is go to a casino!

With my children back in 1991.

I told him he wasn't supposed to bite off the ear!

Update: This was written before he went into the hospital last Saturday. Yesterday they put in a pacemaker which we are hoping will solve several issues he has been having.