By: Hettie Basil Lighttower

Today is not a special day. It is no one’s birthday that I know of. It is not a holiday. It is not Father’s Day. However, I want to give a big “thank you” out to my dad because I know he reads this column. My sister just sent me a photo she took of me and our brother in Paris, France. We were there in 2014. That trip was made possible by my dad. And little did I know that it would be the very last trip I’d ever be able to take with my siblings and mother. Although none of us knew that at the time, dad was his generous self and made the trip happen for us. Mom and us three kids made memories in France that year.
As it turns out, in 2015, the very NEXT year I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. And in 2016 I was on the road to recovery but then my brother got diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic lymphoma. His diagnosis came with the horrible news of “only a week to live”. Quite amazingly he lived for six months after that prognosis. That is a wonderful story wrapped in sorrow. A story for another place and time. He passed away in 2017.
In the meantime, also in 2017 (on my sister’s birthday believe it or not) our mom took a topple down the outside steps and was never the same again. As a matter of fact she was so incapacitated that she was not able to attend nor was she able to comprehend my brother’s funeral. Another sad story for another place and time.
The point is not to elaborate on all the heartache I and my family have had, but to express to you the importance of taking opportunities to do things when you can. And to be grateful for those things you may take for granted.
Without the help of my wonderful dad, a lot of things would not be as good as they are for me. I just want to make it known that dad has always been someone who I can count on and someone who appreciates travel. And giving the gift of travel is a great opportunity if you are able to do that for yourself or receive it from someone else. That trip to France was particularly special. Not just because it was literally a trip of a lifetime, and an only once opportunity with family, but because we had a personal tour guide.
My brother had lived in Paris for a year and spoke French fluently. He knew all the side streets and shortcuts and how to communicate. Being there with him was easy peasy! He handled everything for us. So, it was more than just an opportunity to go to France. It was an opportunity to see my brother in what seemed to be his second home. We were well taken care of. It was very special but even more so after things unfolded for us beginning just a year later.
Travel has always been important to my parents. Mom had sisters married to men in the service. Those sisters moved and lived in different places. During my childhood, we would go to those places. I believe we went to visit them in every place they were. This included Germany, Hawaii and California to name a few.
On top of that dad was what you would call a “rockhound” in the 70’s. He learned of different places to mine different rocks and gems and minerals. So, that lead us all over the United States and into Canada. Between dad’s fascination with rocks and mom’s visits with her travelling sisters, I have been blessed to have travelled to 49 of the 50 states. Alaska is the one I need to see! And by the way my fraternal grandmother lived in Sunrise FL which is close to Fort Lauderdale. So, we travelled to Florida regularly to visit dad’s family there.
Thank you, dad, for giving me all the opportunities in life that you have. As I have grown older, I have come to know that not all persons have a really great dad like I have. It’s hard to consider what my life would even be like if it weren’t for you. Even just a week ago, my car battery went out. Who did I call? Dad. Who came? Dad. He even let me keep the handy dandy portable charger until I got the battery replaced. When I had a snake in my house….. who came to take care of it? Dad.
I could go on and on. But he is modest and I think even despises bragging. So, I will curb it a little. Just one more thing. He can fix anything, build anything, and figure out solutions to the most complicated problems. He is and always will be my super hero. No one compares to my dad. And remember there is so much more that he has done and that he can do, but I won’t overstep the bragging boundary. Thank you.
Send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. I will include them in the next available column as per their arrival relative to the publication deadline of Tuesday by 12 p.m. of the same week. If you wish to be anonymous let me know. Kindness is contagious~*