On this day most Americans remember veterans and other military personnel who served our country. Most people pause and give thought to the sacrifices given by these brave people. However today I found myself thinking about my dad.
He wasn’t in the military at all, but he really enjoyed the Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg mini-series and movies that chronicled the World Wars. He especially appreciated the realistic story telling and drama of The Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Every year since HBO aired these mini-series one of the cable stations usually hosts a Veteran’s Day marathon and it’s a day-long watching event. I wasn’t able to watch the endless hours of intense drama today, but I caught a couple of episodes, and all I could think about was my dad.
Image via HBO
Now even though he’d seen the series air on HBO when it premiered, he probably would have recorded the episodes and then watched them after dinner. He’d brew up a pot of coffee, pour himself a cup, throw some pillows around and try to do his best to fix up the couch in preparation for his marathon. He so wished he had a Lazy-Boy.
My dad would call me to let me know of his plans and see if I wanted to stop by, and most of the time I would. We’d hang out … him with his coffee, me with my tea or chocolate, and hours of HBO drama. Not too many conversations during the show, just hanging out, watching the based-on-true-story accounts of soldiers. Just someone to watch television with and share a comfort zone of silence. The talking didn’t really begin until after the episodes finished, sort of a book club discussion, but without the books. Just HBO television with my friend.
So today as everyone remembered loved ones in the military or armed forces heroes from the past, I found myself rearranging the couch pillows, wishing I had a Lazy-Boy, and lying down watching Easy Company do its best to physically and emotionally survive the war. I thought about my dad and wished he was sharing the comfortable silence with me.
The Wish Factor 