Please Keep The Moden Family In Your Prayers

On behalf of my brothers and sisters, I want to thank everyone for the kind words, thoughts and prayers at this tough time.  

There are so many things that you could say about such a great man as my dad.  From being a father to being a teacher, a son and brother...my dad was truly an incredible man.  In his 68 years he was able to shape the minds of thousands of students and so many times I hear that my dad was someones favorite teacher.

I'd have to agree with that.  Dad and mom taught us so many great things but what it comes down to are two words.  Budget and plan.   If you have a plan and stick to the budget, life will work out a whole lot easier.

Dad taught me how to tie my shoes,  how to comb my hair, how to skip rocks when we were kids at Zoar Valley.   Dad taught me that it is somehow possible to raise 5 kids on one salary.  He taught me that it is possible to survive and 8 hour car ride to Saranac Lake in a K car with 5 figety kids and wife always on edge about your  speed, or the window blowing too much air on her or the radio being too loud.

Dad loved music. Many times I credit that as one of the reasons I ended up working in radio.  He and mom loved going to see live bands around town and he always knew where to find the best fish fry in town.  He was sometimes a "tough customer."  That is to say that if he felt he wasn't getting proper service or if someone was disrespectful to him or more importantly, his family, he was going to make sure he  let you know about it.

If I were to take a poll, I am guessing that my dad's sense of humor would be the one thing that  people will remember most about dad.  From the occasional 1 finger salute to the nurses at Elderwood...to the corny jokes in the classroom, dad always had a way of making you know he was "down to earth.'

I would have to say that the thing I will remember most about my dad is that I doubt I have ever seen any man love any woman more than my dad loved my mother.  I once heard it said that "the greatest thing a man can do for his kids is love his wife."  Boy is that true.  Even till the day my mom died, dad would hold the car door for mom.  He would go out of his way on a daily basis to do things for my mom just so her life could be the best a woman could ever hope for.  My parents never had a bunch of money.  They never traveled to lavish places.  They never had the best clothing or anything like that.  But, they had each other and that was all that mattered.

It is kind of fitting that my dad passed on his birthday.  This past week I was racking my brain thinking of what gift to get for dad.  I can say with confidence and a feeling of comfort that dad got the best gift any human could ever ask for...to be at peace  and be  together eternally with your best friend and the love of your life.

There was a saying that dad and mom said EVERY night before bed it's even engraved on their headstone... "See ya in the morning."   Well as we are sitting here today, for my parents, morning has finally arrived.