A Celebration of Life for my dad was held yesterday, Saturday, April 4th. The week leading up to this has mostly been spent in final preparations and writing a eulogy to honour his life and memory. I found putting together the eulogy helped memories to surface, gaining an even greater appreciation of what a truly wonderful and amazing man he was. My dad was a steady guiding light in many people’s lives. He was unassuming, intelligent, led by example and was always finding opportunities to expand and grow.
As a young boy dad was a dreamer, often laying on the grass at night, looking up at the stars and dreaming about possibilities. But he did more than just dream - he carried those dreams in his heart, and he used them as fuel to build a beautiful life.
Dad was always learning, whether it was changing a transmission in his vehicle with help from a neighbour, building our house on the acreage from the ground up (friends and family coming together) or exploring his creativity through drawing and painting. His painting adventures first began with watercolours which also led into photography, before expanding into pastels, oils and acrylics. At some point he also became interested in genealogy, spending many hours researching and collaborating with his sister. Our family tree has been traced back to the year 629, with documentation and supporting records going back to the 1200s. He also liked to dabble in writing short stories from time to time.
He also had an entrepreneurial spirit. Dad owned and operated a rental business with a focus on outdoors equipment while in his 30"s.Then another business later in life operated by him and my mom for 12 years before retiring. He never let his lack of education hold him back.
Dad was a solid presence with a kind, gentle heart and unwavering support. Quiet by nature, he didn’t speak just to fill the room, but when he did, it was often with a well time joke or a story worth hearing. Beneath his steady exterior was a warm, patient soul who found joy in making others smile.
When I look back over the years and think about all of dad's accomplishments and the connections he had with family and friends, I’m amazed how seemingly effortless he made it all appear. And as we were finishing up his Celebration of Life on Saturday, it became apparent that dad had spent much of his life in the pursuit of mastery and going beyond his arbitrary limits.
Mastery is the result of consistently going beyond our limits!
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