Father's Day - I Am My Fathers?

Today being Father's Day, and I being a spousal caregiver who, aside from my cargiving persona, is not sure of what or who else I am, it occurred to me to think of the positive qualities that I inherited from the fathers in my life, all who are deceased.

From my father - Milton - I inherited a quiet, non-confrontational personality. My father taught me at a young age to appreciate reading and literature such as Dickens, Poe, Shakespeare, Plato and Aristotle. He also taught me to be a health-aholic with regard to diet, and the joys of exercise, both of which have so far kept me in good health. He always kept the current copy the New York Times Book Review in the bathroom, so I knew the titles of the bestselling books, even though I didn't read them.

From my paternal grandfather - Pop-Pop Harry as he was known to his grandchildren - I inherited a love of writing. The center of his life was God, and he was always in the synagogue (I was raised Jewish). He would often take me to the synagogue with him. Even though I had no relationship with God for the first 40 or so years of my life, now as a Catholic, God is also the center of my life. Perhaps my affinity to have faith in God came from Pop-Pop Harry's personality and example. Pop-Pop Harry was the secretary of the synagogue Men's Club; I am the secretary of my church's Women's Council. And like him, I pray several times a day!

My maternal grandfather was named Abe, but we all called him Pop-Pop Muzzy - a name I was told that I gave him when I was small because he had a mustache. Pop-Pop Muzzy was funny, funny, funny, and did magic tricks which were amazing. I still have never figured out how he got a penny to walk down the stairway by itself. I think I must have gotten my sense of humor from him.

I knew only one of my great-grandfathers, my mother's maternal grandfather. Everyone called him "Zayda", and it was some time before I realized he had a real name - Eli. He too was completely devoted to God as an Orthodox Jew. He was alive until I was in college, I think, and he died in his 90s with no gray hair. Although I'm grayer than he ever was, I hope I've inherited Zayda's faith and devotion in God, as well as his health.

So, all of my negative qualities and caregiver depression aside for now, I guess this all makes me a basically healthy reader/writer who loves to find things to laugh about, who tries to keep God at the center of my life, and who is still always looking for some magic!