Keith Booe

Today is my dad’s birthday, and I miss my dad.

No, he’s not gone.  But he lives in Kansas and I don’t get to see him much.  Most of my family lives in Kansas.  Most of my family is really the only thing I miss about Kansas.  But, especially I miss my parents, my dad.

He had a stroke a number of years ago, and after fifteen years or so it was difficult for my mom to take care of him anymore, and since they can’t afford the necessary in-home care, one year right after Father’s Day we had to put him in a care facility in the town where my parents live.  His speech has gotten progressively worse over the years and we don’t get to talk on the phone, so I miss my dad.

I recently graduated college (and there is an as yet unpublished blog post somewhere about this).  I know this fact makes my parents very happy, and proud that I went back and did it after so many years.  I know my parents will enjoy the pictures that I’m sending to them about this.

My dad is a Civil Engineer and land surveyor by trade.  He was always able to help us with our homework, and since math was always my least favorite subject, and therefore the one I did the worst in, his education and experience was especially appreciated, although I’m not sure I every fully appreciated it.

I used to travel to Kansas City a lot for business until last year.  I was usually able to combine these trips with a day or two of vacation so I could go see my parents.  I saw them more in the two years I was doing that travel than I did in the fifteen years prior to that.  It was, frankly, one of the best parts of the job.

Today, on my dad’s birthday, I am thinking about a time about two years ago when I was with my parents.  I was taking a required math class and had taken homework with me during my business trip.  It was one of those times I took an extra day and drove down to my parent’s house Friday and came back to San Diego on Sunday.  I was sitting at their table doing my math homework.  My dad was sitting next to me, just watching.

I turned to my dad and asked his thoughts about the problem I was working on.  I still had a lot homework left to do, and unlike when I was in high school, I sat and focused on it.  I spent the next couple of hours sitting at their table, doing math homework with my dad.  I know it meant as much to him as it did to me to once again be able to do that.  That time…

Happy Birthday, Dad.  I miss you.