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| Dad around 1937 wearing knickers. Said he couldn't wait until he was allowed to wear long pants. |
My dad will turn 91 soon. We've planned a nice, safe ZOOM celebration for the whole family, but I want to do something myself for him. So today, I'll have a small birthday celebration with mom and dad.
First, I'll make him a delicious lunch, then we'll enjoy a tasty birthday cake, and after that I'll spend some time watching the impeachment trial with him--that may sound like a crazy, celebratory event, but my dad really enjoys politics and he found Donald Trump to be a completely corrupt, self-serving, depressing leader. Once Joe Biden got elected, my dad was a lot happier--he was a Biden supporter from the start. We had a number of healthy debates during the Democratic primary season as I was supporting Elizabeth Warren's candidacy then.
I'll look forward to hearing Dad's point of view about the defense team's strategy and efforts. Dad sees things differently than me for lots of reasons. First of all, he's a guy--and men often see things differently than women, particularly men who grew up in an age when men and women had very different roles. Dad is also a veteran, he served the country in the Coast Guard right after World War II, Dad lived through World War II, The Korean War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War too and that experience affects one's point of view. Dad's also lived a lot longer than me, so that gives him a broader perspective.
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| Add for knickers from year dad was born, 1930 |
And, I'll likely bring up a basket of treats that dad can enjoy in the day's ahead as many family members drop in to celebrate his birthday with him. I'm lucky to have had a dad for this long. I appreciate his wisdom and the fact that he continually challenges my point of view ---he keeps me on my toes. So I guess I've answered my own question. What do you get a 91-year-old? The answer is a delicious home-cooked meal, a birthday cake, a basket of treats, and spending time together enjoying something you have in common. Onward.