Day of Rest: Father's Day

He was smart and funny and called me Sweetie. He did all those Dad Things that we take for granted when we're children. He taught me how to ride a bike and built me a playhouse in the backyard. He met my mother in the Yukon:

Dr. Mark Holliday

I used to have a guy-friend in my teens who would phone to come over for a visit, and then he'd say, "Um. Is your dad going to be there? Do you think I could get him to crack my back?"

They got married and moved to California and had me:

"I do look like Daddy."

He was usually behind the camera, but here he is in a coupla formal portraits:

Passport Photo 1966

Christmas card 1969

He had a friend who used to say he looked like Gregory Peck.

He was an artist:

Dad painted this from one of his photos

Otter Falls, Canada

My father has been dead for half my life now. And I still feel his influence. And I see him in my sibs, especially my brothers. Composer Brother shuffles into the kitchen in the morning just like my father, and his personality is much like Dad's: smart, funny, brilliant, artistic. Watching Brother D joking around with his own children reminds me of Dad. So, in honour of my father, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you fathers out there.