Who knows why I just Googled him--an act that would be utterly foreign to this savvy, pre-Internet journalist who happened to be my dad. Maybe I was just looking for some proof that this funny, thoughtful, bridge-building man who'd greatly influenced me still mattered, despite having died nearly 21 years ago.
What I found, though, caught me off guard. Here's an excerpt that popped up from a website when I did the search:
I rather like the idea of my dad possessing some dust-laden secrets, even now, when his bones have become food for the plants--at least those plants that are still allowed to grow at the local Catholic cemetery (mea culpa--I could not help myself). Yes, I'd really, really like to know who this guy is and how it was that my dad's "courage and conviction saved my life in the fall of 1977." But, mostly, I'm glad to know that my dad--and his published words, I suspect--made a positive difference in this man's life.
In honor of Father's Day, I'd like to thank my dad for some of the best things he left behind for his family, even now, when so much time has passed since his death:
--Humor is a gift as well as a bridge. And it is also a great source of release when you just can't imagine how it is that you will face tomorrow.
-- Labels are silly. Screw popular opinion and make friends with folks who don't share your skin color, your religion, your political party, your income.
--Do a few good things in secret, even though you know how important storytelling can be.
--Pay attention and give life a whirl, because there are a million stories out there that are worth hearing and telling and experiencing.
I may be a warts-and-all kind of gal, but I know that I am a better person, having lived for 31 years under the influence of my fine and funny father, Jim Raglin.
Dad, here's hoping you've found all the great fishing holes and funny folks, wherever you may be right now.
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