My Dad and Chief Godfroy

This week is Spring Break for the kids. So, with some time off from work, I decided to tackle one of the final steps in gracefully shutting down my Dad’s business Manbeck Nurseries.

When Dad officially closed the business he rented a storage unit for 6 years to store all the paperwork he might need if the auditors came a calling. Leah and I had already been through the unit and purged ¾ of the boxes that we deemed non-sensitive. So that left 30 or so boxes that needed to be destroyed appropriately.

I pulled the seats out of the back of the van and headed off to Celina, OH. Now this is a route that I have driven many times. I travelled part of this route when going to school at Purdue. Along the way you go through Montplier, IN and get to see a giant statue of Chief Godfroy. When in school, it became a superstition that you needed to salute back to the Chief or else risk bad luck (poor exam scores, a flat tire, etc.) So, I felt it appropriate to grab a photo of the Chief along with my normal salute.

Chief Godfroy

Now, this won’t be the last time I take this route and get the opportunity to salute the Chief, but I am running out of reasons to head back to my hometown. My Dad is gone. My Mom and Sister live elsewhere. Even my friends growing up are moving on. Part of that thought makes me sad.

I also got an opportunity to think about “stuff” on the drive. I’ve gotten some absolutely terrible news from friends lately. One friend’s brother passed away at 36 years old. And another friend is dealing with the news about a brain growth and all that comes with that. I also know that a friend from my trip to Haiti is trying to adopt from there, but is challenged with not meeting their marriage requirement. All those things make me sad, but also serve as a reminder to me that you need to capture and enjoy the moment you live in now. All we have is now.

And that brings me back to Dad. What I wouldn’t give for one more round of golf? One more Buffett concert? One more dinner on his flame free grill? Dad, I miss you like crazy. I hope you were looking down today and smiling on how Leah and I have tried to gracefully close the Nursery.