December 25/26,2015 Tevet 13/14, 5776
In this Parsha/Portion, we experience the loyalty, the love, the honor that Joseph (The Son) has and had for his father, Jacob, even after his (Jacob’s) passing. He, Joseph made his father a promise and followed through, and we see that the remainder of his very own life, until his own passing.
My dad is now a young 83 years old, and through my entire life, he has always been there for me, thankfully! Whether it be a coach for my little league baseball, or cheering me on when I was acting or dancing as a young child, or beaming with a tear in his eyes at my Bar Mitzvah! He taught me to drive with a minimal raising of his voice, spent a few afternoons and cold windy nights alongside a watching the SF Giants play baseball at the now defunct and torn down Candlestick Park (and that is after working a very long day). We would sit and laugh and share stories with one another, as it wasn’t the game we were REALLY interested in, but rather one another’s companionship, and true sharing.
I was one of those kids, even at an older age of childhood, that really enjoyed almost nightly that San Francisco Area Summer time walk to our local ice cream store about a mile away, just so we could spend time together, and many times honestly, we forgot the ice cream, but not the investment in one another ever!
My dad and I could be in a formal dining room ,wedding, Bar Mitzvah, restaurant, and be dressed in black tie, and look across the room at one another and start laughing aloud as we BOTH overheard the same silly conversation! We both were in tune to one another at the exact same moment! The fact is…. we still do it when together,and as I write this, I am SMILING BIG,as my dad is part of me!
My dad NEVER said , he was tired(after a looong day of work) when I wanted to play a game, be it a game of catch outside, or me kickin’ his tush in Dominoes or Cribbage; Ah, the student became better than the teacher! He taught me well!
When my mom was out and left my dad in charge (which was almost never) - OY!!!! Boy did we have a blast! , I stayed up later, as my dad would pass out on top of my folk’s bed, and being a kid, I took full advantage; I watched Love American Style at 10pm on Friday Nights, or Johnny Carson at 11:30pm….. The very second I heard the garage door open; I made a mad dash for my bed and lights OUT; zzzzzzzzzzz!!!!.... Had to keep the unwritten oath of manhood, “Never rat a brother out”. My mom would walk in and probably laugh silently,as she is doing as she reads this....!
As I got older, and into ‘manhood’ and hanging out with my friends and staying out late,etc. ,I would walk in after my “mom’s” imposed curfew (as my dad seemed like the cool one-Haha), and my mom would ‘sleepingly’ acknowledge my presence at 2:30am or so, and my dad would be watching some old movie on AMC or BetaMax, or listening to reel to reel tape, and would slowly ‘lasso’ me in his TV/Music room as I would attempt another flight of stairs to go to bed and sleep, or pass out! My gentle punishment for staying out LATE, was listening to him for an hour, and answering questions. In reality, it probably was only 15 minutes of time, but at 2:30 am, seemed like an eternity! “So Boychick, have fun?, “Meet anybody interesting?” he would laugh, “Did you go to eat after, Lyons or Zims??" ( SF Bay area institutions)
As I became an adult, he always stood proudly by me, as I always stood by him as proud as a son could and can be of his Father! Even when I made an error, and oh boy, I did at times, there was my dad ready to hug and love me, and me him.
It was and IS always reciprocal, as I knew and still know to this VERY day, when my dad needs a hug, even over skype, facetime, or just a phone call to say, “I Love You Dad!”….Somehow I just know, even with the miles that keep us apart physically, NOTHING can keep us apart emotionally, EVER!!!!!!
My dad is my Jacob, and I am his Joseph, as My own Son, Nathan is to me,as I am to him AND his sister, Mia is to me and I am to her !
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