A letter to my Dad

I was rummaging through stuff I had brought from my sister's place, stuff that I had accumulated during the 4 years I stayed there.
I came upon a letter from my Dad, which was basically exhorting me to finish my Accountancy degree and to stop fooling around.
I read it with myriad emotions.
1. I remember what I was doing at that time. Not really fooling around, but not exactly focusing on the right stuff either.
2. My Dad is a parent who cares deeply for his children, so his message was one that he felt he need to voice out loud.
3. I didn't appreciate it at that time, but I do now.

I got this (with some editing of my own) from a website, but the message is still the same. My Dad will be 76 this year, and I hope he lives to at least 100 so that I can write this kind of letter to him:

A Letter to my Dad on His one hundredth Birthday
by
Cynthia Groopman

Dearest Dad,

I cannot believe that you would have been one hundred years old if you were living in this world with us. I often wonder how you would look, how you would sound and what you would do to enhance my life.

Although you left this world in 1996 at age 86, you are so much alive in my memories, in my thoughts and in my heart.
I feel your embraces, your caresses, hear your voice from afar, and see your blue eyes as sparkling as the sky.

My mind's eye is so keen and your presence is always by my side.
You have been a dad crowned with splendor, a man of valor one who deeply loved and cared for his family, a man of morals and righteousness, a man of God and inspiration.

You have been a role model for me and I remember your words and use them often quoting you. I even sometimes during the quiet moments hear you whisper into my ear.

You have taught me so much, to grow in the right way, to hold integrity firm in my clutch, to be honest, to be genuine, to be a person of my word and to be self disciplined.

I can feel the elation in the family one hundred years ago when you entered this world, to immigrant parents. Abraham was your name a leader of nations and a father to all, and that you were. You learned early to be responsible to take cows to pasture on the farm in Woodburn NY at age 9 to support the family while you were going to college at night and working by day and after getting your degree and passing civil service tests with high grades, you sent your brothers to dental and pharmacy school.

You supported your mom and dad and cared tenderly for them. You were the leader of the family and all looked to you for advice and counsel.

I remember as a child running up to you when you would enter the apartment hugging your knees since I was a small tot and you would lift me and hug me and give me that special look and smile. Your blond hair was as radiant as the sunshine and your eyes were as blue as the crystal laden sky.

You would always find time to chat and to help with math problems and we had a blackboard in the room and you would give us work to do. Oh, those division problems were difficult but you made learning fun.

You rose from the ranks to Chief engineer of the department of Water Resources of NYC by examination and you led a city through water shortages etc. and again you were the known as Mr. Water Supply.

Everyone loved you and you won honors form the mayor at that time Mayor John Lindsay and your certificate still regally graces the wall in my living room.

You loved classical music and would encourage us to listen on weekends playing records by Beethoven, Bach and Mozart on the portable old recored player, which I still have up in the closet. You loved to make a bulls eye on poached eggs on a Sunday breakfast for us and the aromas still are in my mind's nose.

Your voice was gentle and you never entered the room with a bang and you were kind and caring. You encouraged disabled workers to do their best long before the DAADA act was ever though of.
You wre a man of faith and encouraged me to pray and remember you going to prayer for the Jewish New Year, with your prayer shawl and prayer book and kissing us and wishing us a good healthy year.

You would accompany me to recitals for piano, doctor's appointments as a child and when I lost my vision 22 years ago, you were by my side. We became companions and friends doing everything together. We were inseparable.

You also were the first one to accompany me to the senior center when I applied for my job and how you relieved my anxiety and made it easy. It is nineteen years since i have been working there and I still picture you taking my hand and guiding me into that senior center that became the center of my life.

You were with me when you left this world to enter the journey to God's eternal home. I took your hand and kissed it and felt you whisper to me a fond farewell. It was your hug that morning in August of 1996 that even made me feel so speical. Dad, you were unique, and a man who was 38 years older than I were my friend, my mentor, my inspiration and above all a blessing.

I think of you when I received my award at Yankee Stadium at home plate in Sept 2006 and when I had my Bat Mitzvah in August of 2011. You are part of my life and you have my life shine with gems and richness that money cannot by.

Dad, I just want to say that I love you and love and affection and admiration transcends death and time. You have kindled that special spark of eternal love into my heart and soul and I shall forever cherish and adore you. Thanks for being my Dad and a man of quality and sharing my life with me. You were God's gift and blessing to me. With all of my love and heartfelt gratitude,

Your loving Daughter, Cynthia