Sapphires & Diamonds

"Do you do anything special on this day?" asked the therapist. "No, not really." I replied. I left thinking maybe I should. Oh I used to buy a Neil Diamond cd on his birthday or Father's Day. I would then pop it in and go for a drive, which was always nice because there was usually sunshine in June or September.

Unlike, today, October 5th, overcast, cool with a chance of rain, much like it was on October 11, 1998 at the funeral. I always thought that I would honor him in some way each year. Somewhere along the way, it became less of a priority...

It's time for that to end. Why not honor the first man in my life? The guy whose eyes sparkled like a pale sapphire when he was full of laughter. When I run into people who knew him, he is often remembered as very social and jovial. Yes, that was the public man. Imbibing. Conversing. Debating. Laughing. So, I have him to thank for my love of people and conversation.

He is also responsible for other reflections of blue in my life. On a bright, sunny day on the golf course, I can see his blue eyes in the sky. Yes, he is credited for my love of golf. He drug me kicking and screaming to it, but it didn't take long for me to love it. He was often my "divot" when holding my head down to watch the ball or strongly urging or encouraging me to be better at whatever sport I was doing. He wasn't into the fine arts side of my life. I doubt he ever if rarely made it to a play or concert. He was once concerned about my 7th or 8th grade English grade, but that was only because he was one year away from getting his English degree. So, with all that I would lump into the divot pile, he was simply shaping his diamond much like the coal in the trains he drove would do before they were unearthed.There were moments when his diamond would shine beyond his expectations, but over time, she has become scratched and worn.

Perhaps, that is simply a sign of a full life tossed into bag of treasures amongst the rubies, opals, garnets, emeralds, sapphires and other fine gems and maybe even a bit of grit at the bottom of that bag. Someday, his diamond will emerge again to be reset to shine and sparkle once again.