I have been on a blog sabbatical since coming home from our Australian cruise. I had spring household and photo organization projects to complete prior to our drive northwest to Vancouver Island. In addition to these projects, my daughter’s family spent their spring break with us in Austin, my dad visited us for a long weekend, and we flew to Arkansas to visit friend. Now that I recall this hectic two-month period, I can’t believe that I completed all my to-do tasks before departing for Canada.
In addition, a celebratory event took place in late March. My father turned 95 years old in April and requested a family gathering. Since my daughter’s family was coming to Texas for their spring break, it made sense to gather in Texas. My brother reserved rooms at the Galveston San Luis Resort, and my sister organized the event. My father’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and spouses traveled to Galveston to celebrate his birthday. This was the first complete gathering of his family since my mother died fourteen years ago.
The San Luis Hotel proved to be an excellent choice as there were multiple restaurants, bars, and recreational facilities within the property. The weather cooperated with comfortable temperatures and clear skies. On Saturday night, we gathered in the back room of a nearby restaurant for dinner. This allowed the family time to reconnect and relax. My sister decorated the room in a shark theme and created a play area for the young children. The food and service were excellent and laughter abounded.
The next morning, we gathered in one of the hotel’s conference rooms for brunch. My sister arranged for a buffet and decorated the room with pictures of my father and birthday banners. She displayed baby pictures of his children and grandchildren and asked the great-grandchildren to match baby pictures to the adult’s pictures. After brunch, Dad blew out his birthday cake candles with help from his great-grandchildren.
Several family members spoke about his life and impact on our family. I told a couple of stories about how he calmly put up with me during my childhood. I once ran into him when he turned the corner into the living room. Hot coffee splashed all over his work clothing. It was the only time I heard him speak a curse word. He then changed his clothes and drove to the office. His day did not start well.
I told another story about when I was in college and home for Christmas. I drove to the movie theater with a few friends to see an evening movie. Afterwards, we walked to the car and saw that my father’s car tire was slashed. One of the girls called her father who picked us up and drove us home. The next day, dad and I drove to the movie theater and changed the tire. We drove next to a tire store where the slashed tire was replaced. Once home, dad opened the car’s back door and noticed a brown bag. He picked it up and opened it. It was a bottle of liquor. I was old enough to drink alcohol but was immediately ashamed of him finding it. My dad handed me the bottle and said, “I assume that this is yours.” I never did this again.
My dad was an excellent photographer. I recently digitized all his prints of my early childhood. These black-and-white photos were developed in his home photo lab. Now these historical treasures are stored electronically for future generations. Pictures of my father are not as numerous as those of other family members since he was the photographer. He humbly used his creative gifts to highlight the lives of others. Thousands of memories were captured because he dearly loved his family.
Two days after his birthday party, my dad boarded a plane bound for Newark, then changed planes and flew to Porto, Portugal. He was accompanied by my sister, her husband, and his grandson. They spent a week cruising the Duoro River on a river boat. Dad did well and was serenaded with “Happy Birthday” in Portuguese by the ship’s staff and passengers. He grinned broadly and thanked those surrounding him.
He was born during the depression, grew up during World War II, saw men walk on the moon, and survived a late-life devasting disease through a miraculous medical breakthrough. He has lived a wonderful and blessed life.
Only about 5% of people in the United States reach their 95th birthday. Less than 1% reach their 100th birthday. Of the small group who make it to their 95th birthday, as each year progresses, 20% of this group will die. One should not take life for granted. Each day of his life is a gift that keeps on giving to my family. I was blessed to be born into family with good genes. Praise God for the wonderful long life of Thomas Worth Snodgrass.
