Day of memories

It's Memorial Day. Though the US Memorial Day tradition began in earnest after the Civil War, memorial days upon which the graves of the communities' heroes were decorated with flowers and garlands are ancient customs originating in Greece 2,500 years ago.

Since I don't have an immediate connection to a veteran who is gone, I tend to think of non-veteran loved ones who have died, still heroes of a sort. Today my dad comes to mind, and I want to share an ode written by our precious family friend Jane Juhl Sharar Evans.

Ode to George
We always connected, George and me.
We became friends back in 1963.
"Oh yoo hoo, new pharmacy man,"
I said as I filled the empty peanut can.
"I'm the student that works after school -
if you need anything, ask for Janie Juhl."
I went to college and moved away but home on visits, I'd stop and say:
"Yoo hoo George, how's the business of pushing pills?"
He just grinned, "Ooofda, if pays the Appleseth bills."
Time passed and to Storm Lake I moved back,
I needed to get a job, for money we lacked.
"Yoo hoo, George, I heard you have a backyard pool.
How about letting me run a private swimming school?"
George decided it just might work, and he thought up an added perk;
his four girls could help me teach every day.
That's how I met Cindy, Dee, Kathy and Kaye.

One night I stopped by to say hi
and George happened to be the birthday guy.
"Wow" - George was FIFTY - his t-shirt said 'Ain't that nifty?'
"George," I said, "you're so old!"
He said, "Ooofda, Jane, you're so bold!"
We talked about life going by quite fast and he reflected on his past.
Life had been good to him so far
but his dream was to go to Europe to get a car.
"Go for it, George." I said that night -
and he exclaimed, "Ooofda, I just might!"
So off he went, just like that. Soon, in his German VW he sat.
'Dream, then do the dream.'
That was my friend George's scheme.
Travel was always on George's mind
and plane ticket deals he seemed to find.
George and Addie needed someone to watch their gang -
"Oh yoo hoo, George, I'll be your kid-watcher," I said.
"Yoo hoo, George, how'd all your kids turn out so good?"
"Well, I just told them to be the best they could.
I loved each one in a special way -
what else is there for a Dad to say?"

George... you too, were special to everyone.
We loved your Norwegian humor and sense of fun!
It has taken me a while to figure out what ttis ode is actually about.
It's not just a story of George, you see.
It's really what George gave to me.
My 'yoo hoo' friend shared with me
what he loved most... his great family.
I thank my friend for letting me be me -
another "apple" on the Appleseth tree!