My father became a snowbird
about 14 or 15 years ago. This is
someone that follows the flight of the birds and spends the winters in Florida. Dad’s routine was to fly down in October and
return north in May. Each year, my
brother’s and I would plan our vacations so that we could visit our father and
enjoy the warmer weather. This year was
different, as he suffered a stroke this past July and needed to relearn the functions
you and I take for granted, such as putting on our clothes and walking. During the summer, we did not know how fast,
or slow, he would recover and if he would be able to go to Florida this
year. Sometime in September, he made the
decision that he will be back in Florida in January / February. We all wondered if this was possible, but
supported his commitment and helped him begin to focus on his goal.
My Dad used to tell us of
going to Coney Island during his childhood, enjoying the beach and, of course, going
on the rides. Then he would tell my
brothers and me about the brass ring.
When we were younger, we thought that was the name of a ride. Our father would correct us and tell us that
when you went on the Merry-Go-Round, there was an arm that stuck out that had a
brass ring in it. If you could reach out
and grab the brass ring, you were entitled to a free ride. The ring was just out of reach, so it was not
easy to grab, but with concentration and focus, you could get the brass ring.
This story came into my mind
Thursday night as we sat with my Dad for dinner at a great
restaurant called “Pasta and…” in
Margate, Florida. Yes, Dad had finally
made it to Florida! I flew down with him
and Alice on Wednesday, to help him getting on / off the plane and making sure
that he had what he needed to stay in Florida.
The dinner was to celebrate the successful trip and the huge personal
gains made to be able to make the trip. What
had seemed like an impossible task for all of us had become a reality. Often, we set goals, and then do not follow
up. Sometimes, we have goals, but do not
fully commit to them and fall short of our target. It is always easier to give up and come up
with reasons for not going forward. We
are all proud of Dad in reaching the goal that he set. Dad had kept his eye on the prize, his focus
on the brass ring, stretched himself and achieved his goal!
