Monday, February 12, 2007
In Loving Memory of Grandpa Sutherland
The picture of the guy in the Santa hat is my Dad, (otherwise known as "PopPop" to the grandkids),Mark Wilson Sutherland. Third, last and youngest son of Woodrow and Emma Sutherland.
And to three grown daughters, he is THE best Dad in the world. He is the sure thing, the go-to-guy. He is our rock, our hero, our Dad in every true meaning of the word.
But today, for a moment in time, everything solid and sure and certain for Dad came to a grinding, hurting, shuddering, stop when HIS Dad -Woodrow Wilson Sutherland-quietly and peacefully stepped out of this world and into heaven. He was ninety this year. He lived a long and good life. And in all of Dad's 50-odd years, Grandpa was constantly teaching by word and deed how to be a father, how to cherish and love your children. Dad learned that family is THE most important investment we have in this life. He learned to hug and kiss and never say "goodbye" without saying "I love you" first. He learned to be a man of his word and a keeper of his promises. He learned to work hard and faithfully. And to play often. Because teasing and playing and laughing are really loving.
Grandpa was proud of Dad -equally proud of each of his three children, and yet he made each one feel special and extraordinary. And Grandpa loved Grandma....ever as much as she adored him even as she she let him go ahead of her to heaven. They were best friends. I knew that from the beginning. They shared the same love of the outdoors, the same love of family. The same love of eachother. Seventy years together is a long time. But what makes it truly beautiful is that they only grew closer as they grew older. And despite the pain and discomfort in the end, Grandpa remained kind and gentle. And Grandma made her every act of service for him an act of love and adoration.
As Grandpa died, my sister heard my dad stand tearfully over him and say "Oh, if I could only be half the father he was..."
Well Daddy, I want you to know that you learned well from the best teacher. There are not words to say the sorrow I feel that I cannot be with you today. I want to hug you in one of our family bearhugs -the kind you used to give Grandpa years ago when he was well. I want to hug you and tell you that I love you. But most of all, I want to thank you Dad. Thank you for treasuring those lessons in your heart and living them out in your life.
You made him proud, Dad.
And to three grown daughters, he is THE best Dad in the world. He is the sure thing, the go-to-guy. He is our rock, our hero, our Dad in every true meaning of the word.
But today, for a moment in time, everything solid and sure and certain for Dad came to a grinding, hurting, shuddering, stop when HIS Dad -Woodrow Wilson Sutherland-quietly and peacefully stepped out of this world and into heaven. He was ninety this year. He lived a long and good life. And in all of Dad's 50-odd years, Grandpa was constantly teaching by word and deed how to be a father, how to cherish and love your children. Dad learned that family is THE most important investment we have in this life. He learned to hug and kiss and never say "goodbye" without saying "I love you" first. He learned to be a man of his word and a keeper of his promises. He learned to work hard and faithfully. And to play often. Because teasing and playing and laughing are really loving.
Grandpa was proud of Dad -equally proud of each of his three children, and yet he made each one feel special and extraordinary. And Grandpa loved Grandma....ever as much as she adored him even as she she let him go ahead of her to heaven. They were best friends. I knew that from the beginning. They shared the same love of the outdoors, the same love of family. The same love of eachother. Seventy years together is a long time. But what makes it truly beautiful is that they only grew closer as they grew older. And despite the pain and discomfort in the end, Grandpa remained kind and gentle. And Grandma made her every act of service for him an act of love and adoration.
As Grandpa died, my sister heard my dad stand tearfully over him and say "Oh, if I could only be half the father he was..."
Well Daddy, I want you to know that you learned well from the best teacher. There are not words to say the sorrow I feel that I cannot be with you today. I want to hug you in one of our family bearhugs -the kind you used to give Grandpa years ago when he was well. I want to hug you and tell you that I love you. But most of all, I want to thank you Dad. Thank you for treasuring those lessons in your heart and living them out in your life.
You made him proud, Dad.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
New reality show...maybe
Recently, I read about a new tv series coming out called "Army Wives". Supposedly it is about several wives/families and their often-deployed spouses. A photo of the cast revealed three size 3 "wives" in evening gowns and stilleto heels and their "husbands" standing and sitting around them in full dress uniform- everyone looking very serious and "come hither". Its like having "Knots Landing" at Fort Bragg.
Anyway, it started me thinking what a "Navy Wives" tv series might look like. But I'm afraid I could only invision myself in it and it wasnt too glamorous! My evening gown has yet to come out of the closet (actually, its still on the rack at some store). I DID get an invite to the upcoming SeaBee Ball (missed the big Navy Ball). But since Mark is deployed I thought it would be silly to get all fixed up just to sit around with a bunch of lonely wives all night. Maybe thats a bad attitude. I doubt if they intend to sit around feeling lonely...
Maybe a mini series... it could feature the day to day life of the military wife with her husband deployed...but we would need a lot of makeup and maybe a personal trainer or two. Unless we can get an actress to play me. And I want some child-actors to play my kids. Some that wear fashionable clothes (for tv), no snotty noses (we have allergies), and dont wake their mom up at all hours of the night (because whoever is playing me needs to NOT have these bags under her eyes.). Yes, they definitely need an actress to play my part. I've seen the faces of other wives whose husbands are deployed and they just look too sad. If I look like that then no one will watch this show.
No, it shouldn't be glamorous because that would be fake. It needs to be a reality show. But they probaby should not film the wife trying to trim her own bushes with the electric trimmer (I almost cut my arm off doing that!) and I dont know about filming her carrying out the trash and recycle bins every week...that might be a bit ho-hum for the tv audience. But then so would the endless trips to the commissary. Maybe inside-the-home ...we could have a great scene doing homeschool! They can just edit out the parts where Mom starts pulling her hair out and the kids are crying. It could be really touching if they show the kids getting a Skype call from their Dad (until they start fighting over who sits in front of the camera -oh wait, I forgot! They're actors. So maybe they wont do that...). We could do a span of the inside of the house, just to give people a "feel" for a real military family home... but not until I get it cleaned up in here for goodness sake!
I don't think this tv idea is going to fly. Even I wouldn't watch it!
Anyway, it started me thinking what a "Navy Wives" tv series might look like. But I'm afraid I could only invision myself in it and it wasnt too glamorous! My evening gown has yet to come out of the closet (actually, its still on the rack at some store). I DID get an invite to the upcoming SeaBee Ball (missed the big Navy Ball). But since Mark is deployed I thought it would be silly to get all fixed up just to sit around with a bunch of lonely wives all night. Maybe thats a bad attitude. I doubt if they intend to sit around feeling lonely...
Maybe a mini series... it could feature the day to day life of the military wife with her husband deployed...but we would need a lot of makeup and maybe a personal trainer or two. Unless we can get an actress to play me. And I want some child-actors to play my kids. Some that wear fashionable clothes (for tv), no snotty noses (we have allergies), and dont wake their mom up at all hours of the night (because whoever is playing me needs to NOT have these bags under her eyes.). Yes, they definitely need an actress to play my part. I've seen the faces of other wives whose husbands are deployed and they just look too sad. If I look like that then no one will watch this show.
No, it shouldn't be glamorous because that would be fake. It needs to be a reality show. But they probaby should not film the wife trying to trim her own bushes with the electric trimmer (I almost cut my arm off doing that!) and I dont know about filming her carrying out the trash and recycle bins every week...that might be a bit ho-hum for the tv audience. But then so would the endless trips to the commissary. Maybe inside-the-home ...we could have a great scene doing homeschool! They can just edit out the parts where Mom starts pulling her hair out and the kids are crying. It could be really touching if they show the kids getting a Skype call from their Dad (until they start fighting over who sits in front of the camera -oh wait, I forgot! They're actors. So maybe they wont do that...). We could do a span of the inside of the house, just to give people a "feel" for a real military family home... but not until I get it cleaned up in here for goodness sake!
I don't think this tv idea is going to fly. Even I wouldn't watch it!
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