My mum doesn’t have Substack but asked if I could comment for her
“That’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you for writing it, Michael. How remarkable No 11 win the Melbourne Cup and he passed that day. Divine intervention.”
That was a wonderful story with many great lessons from your father. My favorite, besides making a good marriage and taking care of the children, is "If I ever brought him my social grievances, he would cite endless examples of people destroying their lives in pursuit of redress."
Beautiful story. I feel like I met Serge and spent some time with him, which is a gift I appreciate.
One of the best decisions I ever made was dropping everything and flying out of the UK to be by my father's side in California for the week before his death. I never left his side at the VA hospital, except to go back to his house surrounded by his artwork and sleeping in his studio. His friends brought me food. I interviewed him about his life, when he was awake and wrote everything in a notebook. I'd push him in his wheelchair and we'd appreciate the fine art prints on the walls as if we were in the finest museum in the world which somehow had Monet and Norman Rockwell hanging next to each other. A master painter himself, I got to listen to his assessment of each work. I heard stories about his first date, living in the Mission District of San Francisco before the war and how being an Eagle Scout paved his way to being a Marine and fighting in the Pacific Theatre of WWII.
I never realised how similar we were until that last week on earth. I'm glad you took that opportunity to spend time with Papa and discover him and yourself.
If you find any more betting tips amongst his papers, let us know! But seriously, it sounds like most people (myself included) would find it even more profitable to take some of his tips on how to live a good life.
I'm so glad I took the time to read this! So beautifully written and compelling. Sorry for your loss but how wonderful to have such a well of deep and fond memories to go back to in years to come. Your father sounds like a wonderful human.
This is the first piece by you I've ever read and, bittersweet as the experience has been, I'm happy I have. I relate to him diving into philosophy as he pondered more deeply about the mistery of life and death. The immensity of our dreams and hopes, struggles and pains, fears and love; all the meaning that the universe can hold, so real, so intense, so important. Yet it's only one story. Just one. And all stories that have ever been and will be are but vague glimmers in the void. The nexplicably vast, inexplicably real, inexplicably silent void.
I don't know if I visualize or feel or both when I relate to your Papa's efforts to use his intelect to make sense of his vital experience. I know that he wondered, and pondered, and marveled and, sometimes, probably dispaired, if only because his dearest ones were at some point going to be left behind. And after contemplating that bit of terror, he probably went back to wondering and pondering and marveling at how much and how little sense it all made.
And now you wrote this because you are going through your story, and the inexorable cycle continues. May your Papa rest in peace, and may the meaning of both your stories magnificently fill everything there is and ever will be.
My mother recently died and we all suffered the consequences of pushing her into ‘care’.What a misnomer. Thank you for showing a less selfish middle way in such eloquent language. A beautiful tribute to your father’s life.
A great tribute to a great man, Serge would be very proud of this
My mum doesn’t have Substack but asked if I could comment for her
“That’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you for writing it, Michael. How remarkable No 11 win the Melbourne Cup and he passed that day. Divine intervention.”
That was a wonderful story with many great lessons from your father. My favorite, besides making a good marriage and taking care of the children, is "If I ever brought him my social grievances, he would cite endless examples of people destroying their lives in pursuit of redress."
Great little film tribute. And article.
What a lovely tribute to an interesting, impressive man.
Beautiful story. I feel like I met Serge and spent some time with him, which is a gift I appreciate.
One of the best decisions I ever made was dropping everything and flying out of the UK to be by my father's side in California for the week before his death. I never left his side at the VA hospital, except to go back to his house surrounded by his artwork and sleeping in his studio. His friends brought me food. I interviewed him about his life, when he was awake and wrote everything in a notebook. I'd push him in his wheelchair and we'd appreciate the fine art prints on the walls as if we were in the finest museum in the world which somehow had Monet and Norman Rockwell hanging next to each other. A master painter himself, I got to listen to his assessment of each work. I heard stories about his first date, living in the Mission District of San Francisco before the war and how being an Eagle Scout paved his way to being a Marine and fighting in the Pacific Theatre of WWII.
I never realised how similar we were until that last week on earth. I'm glad you took that opportunity to spend time with Papa and discover him and yourself.
Thanks for sharing that. There are so many cool stories hidden in the world. I understand now why people get caught up in family history.
If you find any more betting tips amongst his papers, let us know! But seriously, it sounds like most people (myself included) would find it even more profitable to take some of his tips on how to live a good life.
We’ll find more $$ in stoicism than the track.
I don't know. That betting ticket might say otherwise. ;)
Just lovely.
Beautiful, thought-provoking, and a worthwhile history lesson, Mike. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!
A beautifully written tribute to a fine man. Thank you Mike.
This was just beautiful, thank you.
I'm curious about your moniker. Do you, too, hail from the land of corn?
I'm so glad I took the time to read this! So beautifully written and compelling. Sorry for your loss but how wonderful to have such a well of deep and fond memories to go back to in years to come. Your father sounds like a wonderful human.
What a lovely story. Thank you!
This is the first piece by you I've ever read and, bittersweet as the experience has been, I'm happy I have. I relate to him diving into philosophy as he pondered more deeply about the mistery of life and death. The immensity of our dreams and hopes, struggles and pains, fears and love; all the meaning that the universe can hold, so real, so intense, so important. Yet it's only one story. Just one. And all stories that have ever been and will be are but vague glimmers in the void. The nexplicably vast, inexplicably real, inexplicably silent void.
I don't know if I visualize or feel or both when I relate to your Papa's efforts to use his intelect to make sense of his vital experience. I know that he wondered, and pondered, and marveled and, sometimes, probably dispaired, if only because his dearest ones were at some point going to be left behind. And after contemplating that bit of terror, he probably went back to wondering and pondering and marveling at how much and how little sense it all made.
And now you wrote this because you are going through your story, and the inexorable cycle continues. May your Papa rest in peace, and may the meaning of both your stories magnificently fill everything there is and ever will be.
He would find a sunny spot to sit for hours pondering these things. It was very him.
My mother recently died and we all suffered the consequences of pushing her into ‘care’.What a misnomer. Thank you for showing a less selfish middle way in such eloquent language. A beautiful tribute to your father’s life.
My condolences, Suzanne. And thank you.
Love you, Mike.
Stay strong, brother.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, brother.