From Dallara

[Bud]

Allan,

Went over to Palo Alto yesterday to celebrate my dad's 90th birthday. There were lots of family there as he survived a bout with cancer last year if you can believe that at 89.

Anyhow, I was looking across the table as he was blowing out his single candle and I thought to myself how lucky I was to have him around for another year. My mom was there as well and doing pretty good too.

We laughed about things we had done together, backpacking and fishing and him helping me for almost a year getting my sailboat ready for the Singlehanded Transpac race back in 1986 and how I couldn't have done it without his help. There are times that I cherish and remember when he and I were doing things together. Wonderful memories.

Singing happy birthday, I looked at him and had a flashback to when he came home from WW2 and I was 3 years old. The time goes by and the memories fade some, I will always remember him with that olive drab duffle bag over his shoulder walking up our driveway with my grandparents in 1946.

Lucky are those of us who have had fathers who spent time with us and did the best they could to pass on the torch.

Time passing will soften the pain, the memories you have and experiences shared as father and son will help get you through it.

God bless.

Bud

[darthrider]

Very well put Bud!
We are the same age...I can't say I remember Dad coming home after the War, but I sure remember what happened after that!
I lost him in a car wreck in 1970 when he was only 50...I think about him every day.