Day 252: My Father’s Birthday

Today, September 9, is my father’s birthday.

My father, Aaron Koplow, passed away in March, 1997.

Three months after that, I found out that I was pregnant, at age 44, with my only child.

My father, when he was alive, assumed he would never be a grandfather.

If I know anything in this world, I know that my father and my son (also named Aaron) would have been great friends.  They would have shared a lot in common, including a wicked sense of humor and kindness towards others.

When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t sure how to do a “good enough job” honoring my father, here in this blog, on the date of his birth.

I think I already have.

Before I end, though, I did want to show you a pair of images,  to tell you a little bit more about my father and my son.

Here’s the deal about this first photo: My father had lost a bet with his best friend, Nell Zaitchik — who also had a great sense of humor. The above is how he repaid that debt to her.   I don’t know what the wager was about, but that’s my father’s hand-writing (below and on the bill itself).

Here’s the deal about that second photo: About five years ago, somebody lost a larger bet with me (regarding who was playing a jazz solo). The above is how he repaid that debt to me. I’m showing this not to brag (or to marvel at the coincidence), but to point out the writing between the two bills, which was a quote from my son.*

That’s something else my father and my son share: they are both very quotable.

I’m very grateful, this morning, to have heard so many of those quotable quotes over the years.

With many more to come, I’m sure.

Extra-special thanks to my father, to my son, and to you, too, for reading today.

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*  If you are having trouble reading that piece of advice from my son, it says, “DON’T BET WITH MAMA.”