Story of a Lifetime

My daughter had given me a bit of background on my Christmas gift. And I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I opened my present on Christmas morning, there before me was a book: The Story Of A Lifetime. The book is 384 pages. And it contains a list of questions for which there are currently no answers.

Writing in the answers will be my contribution.

There is a story behind the book and it reads in part:

There were questions she [the author] had never asked, questions she had feared to ask, questions that simply had never been answered. “It suddenly seemed as if their lives were passing me by,” says Pamela. “Where had I been all those years while they grew old?”

To show them how important they were to her, Pamela set out to compile a list of questions reflecting her loving interest in them and their lives. “I worked very hard for several months preparing the list to give to my parents for Christmas. The day before Thanksgiving, proud to have finished in time to have it beautifully bound before the holidays, I ran down to the local coffee shop to celebrate with a cappuccino. When I got home, I discovered a message on my answering machine. Mom said ‘Pam, your dad just passed away.’ I was devastated with grief and riddled with guilt. I had waited too long. Now I would never hear from Dad, first hand, about all the lessons he had learned and the wisdom he had gained. He would never tell me what life had meant to him. Most of all, he would never hear from me how much I loved and appreciated him.”

My father’s life is almost a complete mystery to me. He died when I was young. I never had a chance to learn about his life or his values.

My daughter has provided me a platform to share my journey with her. Hopefully I still have a few more years on the planet but at least I can provide her with some insight about a life lived thus far.