Birthday Wishes and Memories of My Dad

My dad, Robert Alexander Doorenbos, was born in Alexandria, Egypt November 17, 1928. He passed away August 20, 2002 in Winnipeg, Canada. It's been a little over 8 years since he died, but I still miss him. He wasn't a perfect man, nor a perfect father, but he was a good man who loved me. He loved my husband, and he loved my daughter. There are days when I think to myself, wow, I wish Dad was here because he'd really enjoy this movie, this book, this drive, this scenery, this weather, this meal, this celebration.

I haven't written too much about him because how do I encapsulate his life? I missed a lot of years from the time I was 16 until I married at 22. Those years were lost for many reasons. Reasons that I don't discuss publicly. Suffice to say that he contributed to the reasons as much, if not more, than I did. I understand why and I have forgiven him, too. And in the forgiveness, I bought back a lot of years. Years filled with good memories, fellowship, love. Years where I shared my grown up life with him. Years where he became a friend, a father-in-law, an Opa.

One paragraph in my dad's memoir, written in 1991, describes his personality really well. He'd just been released from a Japanese concentration camp and was finally able to reunite with his mother and sister. He'd been in an all male camp for quite some time and in Camp 7. He wrote:

Back in Camp 7 it was not as crowded as when I arrived a few months earlier. Approximately 800 men and 110 boys had died in those six months. Rations had been so poor that diabetics did not need their insulin and they could not get it anyway. I went to see mother and Hetty in Camp 6, four miles away, a long walk. That night, on my way back, I got a lift in a truck with Japanese soldiers. Standing between them was a weird experience. All I owned in the world was shorts and a shirt, both tattered. My head been shaven at one time and grew back in irregular patches due to malnutrition. I weighed maybe 90 pounds and was covered with infected sores as every scratch festered. My arms and legs were wrapped in old dirty bandages which made me look like something pulled out of an Egyptian tomb. I must have been an awful sight and mother fainted when she saw me. It did not bother me too much. I felt fine after a week of adequate rations and had not looked in the mirror for six months.


I guess you could say I get my ability to find the silly in the serious from my Dad.

So now, as a memorial to him, I'd like to share my impressions of Dad's life based on how we authors tag/brand ourselves. Here are some words that I believe best describe my Dad.

Robert Alexander Doorenbos.

Survivor, artist, calligrapher, painter, cross country skier, adventurer, bibliophile, intellectual, engineer, architect, explorer, traveler, photographer, writer, cook, baker, Mason, toastmaster, cat lover, loner, humble, curious, generous, gifted, husband, brother, son, uncle, father, father-in-law, friend, Opa, man

I miss my dad. I miss our talks, our trips to the museums, and our mutual curiosity about life. Most of all I miss all the memories I still want to make with him.

Happy Birthday Dad. May your room in Heaven have an easel, a map, and a walking stick.

Top of the Heap: Fun Game

I was tagged by  for this one-word game, a nice little exercise for us writers. Especially for those of us who like to use three words where one will do! At the end, I'm tagging some of the fun, new blogs I'm following. Also, don't you love this award? So far it's my favorite.

I would definitely put this on my sidebar if I could only figure out how to do it!



Rules: Answer the following questions with Single Word answers then pass this along to 5 other bloggers. Make sure you let them know about it though.

Your Cell Phone? iPhone
Your Hair? Needs s trim
Your Mother? a constant well of pain to mine
Your Father? wish he was still here
Your Favorite Food? Lebanese
Your Dream Last Night? Craziness filled with peeps in my head
Your Favorite Drink? Wine
Your Dream/Goal? Dream? Published. Goal? Keep Writing
What Room Are You In? Master Bedroom
Your Hobby? Travel
Your Fear? Fire
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Florida or Texas
Where Were You Last Night? Here
Something That You Aren't? Patient and calm
Muffins? Lori's Chocolate Chip Banana
Wish List Item? Health and fitness
Where Did You Grow Up? Northern Canada
Last Thing You Did? Braise Pork Tenderloin
What Are You Wearing? Jeans
Your TV? Off
Your Pets? 2 cats
Friends? Everywhere
Your Life? Writing, Family, Friends
Your Mood? Intense
Missing Someone? Best friends in Canada & Holland
Vehicle? Ford Escape
Something You Aren't Wearing? Earrings
Your Favorite Store? Trader Joes (when I can get there)
Your Favorite Color? Green/blue
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Today
Last Time You Cried? Summer 2009
Your Best Friend? Lori, Janne Marike
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Blogs
Facebook? Yes
Favorite Place To Eat? Home

Here's the fun new bloggers I'm tagging. Go visit them and tell them you came down from the mountain! And if you add yourself as a follower to their blogs, so much the better cuz we all love followers!!

Martha

Gwen

Ellen

Zoe

Hawk

Woot!