Wednesday, June 25, 2008

My dad's 81st Birthday

Today I want to honor my father, Glenn E. Kunkel He turns 81 today. I can still remember riding on his shoulders down the hill of the Galindo St cul de sac. He has been a GREAT father. I often tell people, that I have NEVER seen in him, an act or deed that I would question. A impecable example, a man, of Impeccable character. Dad today I honor you!! I hope you have a great birthday. Love TIM

The following is the letter I wrote him a year ago on his birthday;

Hello, It has been 80 years since you were born… !! My o my how time passes!! What a milestone for you, as for me as well, as this 26/12 I will hit the big 50!!! I can hardly believe it. I still feel like I am a young man. How life passes by so quickly!!!

I just wanted to take a few minutes today to thank you for the great Dad you have been and were to me. I could have asked for no better. Many times in witnessing to folks I talk to them about the difference a Christian, or Evangelical Christian upbringing means to a person. To never have seen an alcoholic beverage in the refrigerator, to have NEVER seen my dad with a beer in his hand, to have never have seen my dad cuss or use profanity, to have never seen him disrespect or mistreat his wife and my mother. WOW!!!!!! What a heritage… You were and are SO exemplary. I love and respect you so much. I pray you have a blessed birthday… Below are some quotes about dad’s that touched me, and reminded me of you…

" I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands work fifteen and sixteen hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and hard work by the simple eloquence of his example." -Mario Cuomo

YOU WERE ALWAYS SUCH!! A HARD WORKER…
"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." - Anonymous
YOU DEFINITELY DID THIS..
"A Man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season." - Anonymous
"The greatest gift I ever had Came from God, and I call him Dad!" - Anonymous
"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." – Anonymous
THIS MADE ME LAUGH…
"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." - Clarence Budington Kelland

POWERFUL… YOU DEFINITELY DID THIS…
"One father is more than a hundred Schoolmasters." - George Herbert
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope." - Bill Cosby

I thought this was funny. We can identify with this, no??
"Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys." – Anonymous
WOW!! SO TRUE…

Please also see the Tony Cartledge article attached…
So on this your 80th Birthday, please be reminded once again of my deep love and admiration for you. The times at the Berkley Pier, at Putah Creek, and at Whiskey Slough were great. The watching you eat lunch at the General Tire company (outside in the car with us kids and mom), at the Redwood Park picnic grounds, etc. All great times, and learning opportunities… The long talks when I cam home from seminary etc. Yes Dad you were there for me BIGTIME!
Happy Birthday, and beleated Father’s day too,

Love your son, JT KUNKEL

1 comment:

jgkunkel said...

awesome stuff dad!