While most son-in-laws just try to get through Thanksgiving dinner without awkward silence, I can proudly say my father-in-law was my mentor, my best friend, and a father figure to me. Eventhough he could answer a question as thorough as Google, I would still prefer to come to him with all my questions because I truly respected his thoughts, ideas, advice, and opinions. In the course of a single evening we were known to discuss everything from the downfall of communism, to global warming, to the financial collapse, to the beauty of a dry aged medium rare steak. We would eat like Kings and could talk like scholars well into the night, long enough to reheat the leftovers from that nights dinner…round 2…as he would say. His breath of knowledge on any subject never ceased to amaze me.
But I’ll never forget when the man of many words was at a loss when I asked Jim for Heather’s hand in marriage at a fishing spot called the Three Sisters and I know some of you have fished that spot with him as well. He caught what he called the inshore grandslam that day, and I knew that was my best chance. I was nervous and he was calm. His simple reply was, “I was hoping you would ask me that.” Throughout the rest of the day he expressed his happiness for our future and though I was so happy to get his approval, I was more so honored to be his family.
I loved watching him cook, even more than actually eating his food…in a lot of ways his cooking was a reflection of his life… he never had a recipe or an ingredient list, but the way he could see it through… with a little bit of luck, loads of skill and creativity, a whole lot of love, and a family to receive it.
We had our inside jokes, endless banter, and secret fishing spots. Our time together was truly a shared experience and I will miss him immensely. We never wanted the conversation to end. I can now say that I too am at a loss for words, but I know that when we meet again we will pick up right where we left off.