What I Know:
*That you used to listen to the Glenn Miller Band with your brothers on your homemade crystal radio late at night.
*That you wrote a song with your brothers--a pretty good one. Someone famous sang it on the radio. I don't remember his name.
*That you got in your first fist fight when a classmate made fun of you after hearing your family band on the radio the night before. You were defending your mother. Her voice cracked on the air. You played the accordion, the piano and the clarinet.
*That you got wounded in the army when someone slid into you with cleats on during a baseball game.
*That your mother told everyone this wound was caused by shrapnel.
*That you had your first profound thought looking at the water from a ship when you were in the army.
*That your military experience was a very positive one for you.
*That you dedicated the rest of your life to creating a world where nations understand how to work together.
*That you felt a calling as strong as I've seen in anyone I've ever met.
*That you always regretted not talking to your father about his beliefs and political history. My grandfather was a Wobbly union man (I.W.W.) in his youth, but then had to hide that part of his past to keep his job and feed his large family.
What I Wish I had Asked You Then:
*What was that profound thought that you had on that ship?
*What did it feel like to have a calling like that?
*If you could travel back to your youth, which days would you relive?
What I Wish I Could Ask You Now:
*Am I doing enough?
*Are any of my profound thoughts the same as yours were?
*When my daughter asks me whether you can hear her talking, what is the best way to answer her?
*What would you like to ask ME now?
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What would you like to ask your Dad? Even if he is still living. In fact....especially if he is still living.
UPDATE: It just occurred to me that this question doesn't have to be limited to father's. Perhaps you have questions for your mother instead.
For My Dad
