Tuesday, January 21, 2014

A Wistful Anniversary

Today is the 28th anniversary of my father's death.  Unlike when my mother died (I was 12), my Dad died when I was an adult.  As a result, I think I tend to treat my father's death anniversary with more wistfulness than pain.

My Dad loved photography.   In fact, he never quite forgave himself for losing a camera, with photos I'm sure he would have loved to have, at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair.

When he was younger, he used to develop his own photos (in those black and white days, a home hobbyist could easily do this with patience and the right chemicals.)  After his experience in World War II and subsequent marriage and fatherhood, he never did that with m, at least that I can remember.

I think that's where I got my love of photography, though - from my father.

What would my Dad have thought about blogging, and photography?  I don't know, but I bet he would have owned a cell phone with a good digital camera just for the joy of taking pictures.

Empire State Building, Manhattan, May 2013
Dad, you would have loved the iPhone.  You loved Manhattan, and you could have taken this picture yourself.
Brooklyn building, May 2013
You loved your native Brooklyn, too. You loved to watch houses under construction. What would you have known about this style of construction?

I'll never know.

Later this year, if he had been alive, Dad would have celebrated his 100th birthday.   In a way, that thought makes me smile. What, I wonder, would he have thought of our modern world?

Of course, I'll never know.

Happy anniversary in Heaven, Dad.

18 comments:

  1. Death is why we have memories. I lost my father 5 years ago and he was my John Wayne. It is his facial characteristic of lines on my forehead that I look at everyday and smile at. I feel that when people we love are still with us on earth that we don't have time to enjoy our memories as we are too busy storing them away within our reality. In saying all of this... smile within your memories and your dad is still with you even though you cannot see him in front of you~
    Have a very special day~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am having a special day, Dorothy. Thank you.

      Delete
  2. This was a very thought provoking post & I enjoyed reading about your memories etc :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sophie. He raised me as a single father from the time I was 12 so I owe a lot to him. I never realized it when I was younger - of course, teens rarely do.

      Delete
  3. What a lovely post and lovely memories as well as interesting questions posted. Yes, I wonder what he would have thought. My husband's father was a photographer and he tells great stories of the memories wrapped round the photography. His father died when he was a child and my husband has his camera and occasionally uses it, he too is into photography.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely post, lovely memories. Thanks for sharing your impressions of your dad - and your photos. Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What wonderful memories, so special XX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes.I have some very special ones, especially those in my childhood.

      Delete
  6. I'm glad you think of your dad with wistfulness instead of pain, Alana. Your dad sounds like he was a wonderful man, and your fond feelings for him are evidence that your relationship was a close one. (I can't take my eyes off that brick and stone building. Beautiful!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really would like to know more about that building. My Dad was a native of Brooklyn, although he didn't grow up in the neighborhood where that building is located.

      Delete
  7. Thank you +bookworm for your heartfelt post of memories. I related a lot in that my mom died when I was 17 and my dad when I was 35. I often wonder what he would have thought of this modern world as he would have been 110 on New Year's Eve. I would be honored if you would read the post I wrote last month about him at http://batteredhope.blogspot.ca/2013/12/my-father.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I promise to do that, Carol. Thank you for sharing.

      Delete
  8. My father must have been born at around the same time. He also took photographs. What a wonderful hobby. Thanks for bringing back memories for me too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I thank you for commenting, Francene. The years go by too fast, as we both know.

      Delete
  9. What a nice tribute. I bet he really would have loved all that digital allows us to do.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting! Your comments mean a lot to me, and I appreciate each one. These comments are moderated, so they may not post for several hours. If you are spam, you will find your comments in my compost heap, where they will finally serve a good purpose.