Happy Birthday to Dad - Long Gone But Never Forgotten

I always start out March by wishing my dear, long-dead Dad, a happy birthday. He was an amazing man, chased his dreams throughout his life to the best of his ability, and I think he was happy at the end, looking back on what he had accomplished. He and Mom worked as a great team - they rarely disagreed, and truly looked after one another. They were compatible, and companions and complimented each other's strengths and weaknesses so that united, they presented a force of nature against which, even Hitler had no chance. 

We tend to think of nature as an inconvenience, but 
when it comes down to facts, nature will always 
win. Sometimes there are people who are also 
forces of nature. My parents, united, were stronger 
than they would have ever imagined, and came 
through their trials stronger than ever before. 

My Dad became an expert in changing paths and starting over. He did it numerous times in his life, starting when he was young and fairly newly married. When Hitler was threatening, he sent Mom off to England to protect her from the Nazis, and then walked alone over the Alps to find passage to the USA from a totally different country than a European nation. Once here, he started to set up a life in New York, and sent for Mom as soon as the war was over. 

I know Dad escaped through the Alps. He never voluntarily 
talked about those days, touching on one quick point or 
another, and never in depth. He was lucky. He managed to 
escape Austria shortly after Hitler came to power there. 

How many of us these days would have the stamina to do what he did? To leave everything behind and walk off into a new and completely uncertain future isn't easy. I'm quite sure that without Hitler, their lives and my own would be completely different. But they had Hitler and we have Trump. Yeah - oh joy. They lived through Hitler, and we will live through whatever comes in our own futures, but again, there are no promises - life isn't easy, and we've been very lucky in this nation until now. 

Just in case you can't read it well, the caption 
of the photo says, "Life holds no promise to what 
will come our way ... it makes no guarantees as to 
what we will have ... it just gives us time to make 
choices and to make chances." 

So today is Friday, and it's Lent, so I'll be having my usual salmon for dinner - YUMMY. I'm not sure what DH is planning for his, but we'll work out the oven time if needed. It can be a bit of a dance when I need the broiler and he needs the oven, but it seems to work out despite our failings - LOL. Isn't that what life is, after all? Life is a dance - we move in circles, stumble and fall at times, but once again join with the music and rhythm of the Universe in our eternal Universal dance. Have an excellent Friday, enjoy the beginning of your new month. I'll be back tomorrow to wrap the week up. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.