We're having a Luau!
I’ve spent a lot of time in the recent months reflecting
on my dad’s life and the impact he had on me as his daughter; the good, the
bad, the things I wish I would have done differently, and the things I will
never have the chance to do with him again.
Even in his final days as his body dwindled & suffered greatly, his
mind remained sharp and his gift of conversation was very present until that,
too, was finally taken away.
In this season of remembrance, I recently
recalled one of the most hilarious memories I have from my childhood. It took place one scorching summer afternoon
in 1991 when we attended a luau in our little town. This event was a fundraiser for our local
hockey association, so in all things hockey-related, my parents loaded up all
of their tots – foster kids included - to partake in the festivities.
Hockey association supporters near
and far showed up in Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, and leis for an afternoon
of tropical celebration; a very different scene from the bundled-up folks who
would frigidly cling to their Styrofoam mug of hot chocolate while cheering on
the team during the freezing winter months.
(My mom had a knack for perming my hair & my foster sisters were lucky enough to be subject to this one. But seriously, how cute were they?)
After the meal, games, and other fun,
the hula dance contest was about to commence.
I had a vague idea of what my traditional and graceful movements would
look like. I had practiced, after
all. Us younger kids danced in our age
category….
….the teen kids took their turn and
competed in their age category…
And finally, any desiring adults were
called up front to dance in their category…
My dad surprised me when he stood up
in front of the crowd, wearing in only a grass skirt and one very serious look
on his face. Was it nerves? Was he going to play it reserved? I kept my eyes locked on that face wondering
what on earth he was doing up there. I
knew that face.
There was a twinkle of mischief in
his eye and the tiniest hint of a smirk on his lip. If you knew him well, you knew his Poker face
was anything but strong.
The band started playing at lightning
speed, and that dad bod took off in full throttle dance moves. He shook his hips and swung his ghostly-white
legs and ultra-tanned arms as fast as he could.
I gasped and covered my mouth in shock for a while until the most
profuse laughter erupted from everywhere.
The sweat poured down his face but he
did not stop for anything. Those dance
moves were serious business, and he was determined to out-hoola any other adult
who dared to dance against him. Two
minutes passed, then three. He had not
skipped a beat, and nearly collapsed in exhaustion after the song
finished. He won the contest, needless
to say.
I wish we had my dad’s epic hula
dance on video.
And then there’s Gary. My late father-in-law, who also loved to get
a good laugh out of people. That’s one
of the things I miss most about him. He
loved to play pranks and startle anyone who might be in works of his prankster
scheme.
I remember Gary wearing one of four
things in the years of knowing him:
1. A bright yellow Carhartt
sweatshirt when the Northern Minnesota weather was cooooooold.
2. A gray t-shirt decorated by his
grandkids’ painted hands and feet.
3. No shirt, obviously. That man lived on the lake!
4. And finally, his bright and bold
Hawaiian shirts that he deemed appropriate for any and most occasions that, A)
required a shirt, and B) didn’t require the aforementioned Carhartt sweatshirt
because of the inclimate weather.
August 4th would have been
my parents’ 44th wedding anniversary.
The following week, August 11th,
would have been Gary & Sue’s 44th wedding anniversary.
To honor our dads zest for all things
fun & our parents’ wedding anniversaries, we’d like to invite you all to
our Adoption Fundraiser Luau to raise monies for our adoption.
Saturday, August 4th, 2018
Fox Hollow Banquet Hall
5pm-10pm
Please RSVP to this event via Facebook so we can get a head count!
Many more details will follow as they come together.
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