Inspired by a post I originally published
on “A Prayer of Faith” in 2006.
Nine years ago this month, my father passed away peacefully
just eighteen days short of his hundredth birthday. Even as his physical
capacities gradually diminished during the last few years, he continued to live
by himself, fixing his own meals, and using his own recipe to bake his
super-nutritious bread. Both he and my mother, who had died seven years
previously, impressed all who knew them with their positive, cheerful outlook
on life, even in the midst of their challenges.
I have sometimes wondered if my own basically cheerful
nature was inherited, or more a result of seeing and following my parents’
example. Both genetics and observation no doubt come into play, but shortly
after my father’s passing I found evidence that they were actively trying to
teach me the value of being cheerful when I was very young.
