Sunday, June 14, 2015

Flag Day

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today, June 14, is my dad's birthday. It is also Flag Day. He would always talk about Flag Day and his birthday coinciding. He once made jokes about the flags on Flag Day being in celebration of his birthday.

My dad took joy in very simple things. Every year I gave him a birthday card, and it always meant so much to him. In 2012 I remember the emotion he expressed when I gave him his birthday card. He said that he and I were the closest and that it had always been that way. He had tears in his eyes. This is the first birthday of his since he passed away. It is hard for me today, but I love my dad so much, so I still want to wish him a happy birthday.

He promised he would be waiting on the other side, so here is to your day, Dad. I hope you are enjoying some angel food cake today. I love you!

What’s Flag Day? It’s the American celebration of the birthday of the Stars and Stripes. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution “that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white on a blue field, representing the new constellation”.

So Happy 238th birthday, Old Glory. Long may you wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.-Flag Day: What it means

Dad's Journal: Flag Day 2005

Dad kept a daily journal for many years, and up until June of last year, 2014, he still wrote daily, but then suddenly stopped. His hands were crippled with arthritis and he could barely hold a pen anymore and his writing was becoming very shaky and illegible at times. He gave it up, but still wrote occasional notes in a smaller notebook up until October of last year. I'm so glad he had the discipline to write every day. His journals have kept me connected to him in a very special way. I don't have them stored with me, but every few weeks I go get a few to have with me and read. Below is his entry from June 14, 2005, exactly ten years ago.

Tuesday 6-14-2005 "flag day"

Up at 7:45am washed & shaved, to donut shop I had bagel sandwich sausage and egg & coffee. Washed clothes, set up solar lights on front lawn. Mr.and Mrs. D, Winnard and Dona, left for El Cajon to eat out and get pills (Winnard) from Sav-On drugs.

I left at 11:30am I first put $20.00 gas in Explorer then to GMC [Grossmont Center] I first went to Grossmont Nutrition for birthday cards 49¢-99¢ "can't beat the prices"! On to B&N [Barnes and Nobel] to have a small coffee & a cookie while I read for a while.

Back to Merritt Blvd. Filled bird feeders (3) did some watering then took a walk to Johnny B's & back 3pm-4:10pm. Hot & humid today & I was hot & tired & took a shower then ironed pants and dress shirt for Shawn for work tomorrow. I fixed pasta noodles tuna and mushroom soup, bread & salad for our dinner. Watch Storm Stories on TV, to my room at 10pm to listen to Coast to Coast AM.

Birthday card from Dona & a very touching card from my son Shawn "which I'll always treasure". A call from my daughter Tana to wish me a happy birthday.

The History of Flag Day

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