George Holden
Nance
Dad is one of those guys that you see
and you really don't
appreciate like you should. He's not tall
or rich and outside of his family and friends few would know of him,
because he doesn't have many characteristics that jump out at
you, but he is a man who has done more than his fair
share to make this world a
better place. He fought in WW
II, but his didn't brag
about his exploits or embellish the facts. It has taken years before he would even talk about the war. He did what he
was supposed to do, as so many of his generation did. The war had
to be fought, so my father
joined millions of others and
suffered for a cause. But unlike many of his generation, he
saw no glory in war. Sure there were friends and comrades that he
would keep for life, but the waste of precious human life was not
something to revel in. Instead, he just did what needed to be done, and left it at that.
Growing up, I remember my father always giving.
If it was a choice of who got the extra piece of cake or the last
piece of chicken, Dad
always gave it to the kids. But more
important than food was the
time and concern he gave us all. Whether it
be a football game, or parade or back to school night or first
communion, my father was there. I can remember going to my high
school reunion and having one of my classmates ask me how my dad
was doing. "He was at
every game we played." the classmate
said. I realized that he had not been as fortunate as I, but in a
way my father was there for all the team. I don't remember him being happier than when he watched our teams play. Win or lose, he was
always there supporting us. I don't think he ever missed a game.
On the other hand, he
seldom went to church because as he explain
it, "I don't want to
take a regular's seat." but he never
belittled us or my mother for our faith and instead gave his
taciturn approval. He, as with my mother, showed me that it is
never wise to belittle anyone's faith so long as that faith brings goodness, comfort, and love
into the world.
Still it is my father's sense of humor that I
admire him most for. He seldom has taken anything too seriously,
but he's sneaky about it. He'll
stay quiet for the longest time and then
out of no where he'll say something that brings everything in
focus. When I was feeling nervous about my first communion,
my father's advice to me was "If it's real good, get in line and go back for seconds." My mother may not have appreciated that comment
at that moment, but for me it made the day much more pleasant. On
that day, I accepted God
into my body and soul with a smile.
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