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Return to In Memory of James Beattie Morison M.D. page Six
thoughts on the wisdom of My Father's Wisdom My father's illness and weakness have lead to many thoughts. Among those are these ideas about the Biblical concept of wisdom... which might be best thought of as "knowledge and insight empowered by love." Proverbs 24:
3-4 My dad continued building our house long after I left home. When I was in university my college dorm mates were very impressed that my father wrote me each Sunday. When I worked at the Toronto Stock Exchange my co-workers were amazed that my father wrote me each Sunday. When I worked on my master's degree at the University of Guelph, my house mates were very touched that my father would write me each Sunday. When I went to my first church in New Brunswick, by congregation was very appreciative that my father would write me each Sunday. In all my stops here and there people have been impressed with my father's writing. Here in New Hazelton, many more have been left in awe by the day-to-day contact that my father instigated by e-mail. It was not uncommon for me to know the total of his bill when he shopped at Staples. Even greater than my dad's accomplishment is the fact that he has instilled in me the very same attitude and values. Proverbs 12:18 I was in about grade six and impressed with my own ability to throw rocks over the top of our two-story house. This day, one landed not on the grass in front of the house but on the wind shield of my father's car as he was getting out of it. Not only did I nearly miss severely injuring my father, I broke the wind shield and injured his pocketbook. My father did not show any anger, he knew I was well aware that I had done wrong. He did make me contribute to the cost of his deductible and therefore take responsibility for my actions. His act of correction was an act of love. Although I wasn't always this bad, or this stupid, this story illustrates my dad's fairness, compassion and wise judgement. Proverbs 22: 6 It would be silly at one level to say that my dad is a man of great focus. At times throughout the years that I have watched him he has been unable to focus on simple tasks. He once introduced me as his son, "Guelph." Guelph is where I went to university. However, in other ways, he is a great example of what it is to focus. Only as an adult with my own work, own family and own desires do I realize the challenge of the balancing act. Career and family were always axial in my dad's life. Career was the way you served the community and provided for your family. I know my dad worked a lot when I was a little boy but all my fond memories of summer vacations, trips to the zoo, being read Jimmy Skunk and other stories in bed and other memories are surely not products of my imagination. I hope I live in an age where it is easier for me to choose to spend such time with my children. My dad's commitment to spending time with extended family which included my aunts, uncles and cousins and many more has not only been a great gift to me but something I can share with my own children as well. Proverbs 22: 9 My dad has always been generous with me. I may have only paid for a trip home once or twice. It was very common for me to be given a toy passenger jet on my birthday or Christmas with the check hidden underneath. He found other creative ways to give his gifts as well. One year he discovered I had taken the full size Oxford dictionary with me after a trip home. I received a card at Christmas telling me to enjoy the dictionary as my Christmas present. This generosity has extended to my children and to my wife in so many ways but nowhere more prominently than in the ever open door that my dad continues to have in his house. My dad's commitment to supporting a whole array of charities not to mention his career and volunteerism, particularly with the Rotary Club is also a shining example of the biblical concept of wisdom. Proverbs 18:
22 One of my fond memories from a childhood is seeing my mom open cards that my dad had sent to her in the mail. Although he travelled for work, these cards were not necessarily sent when he was travelling. Sometimes they were funny and sometimes sentimental. What I really remember was that my mom appreciated them and I wondered why he would spend the money on a stamp when he could deliver them by hand. I now know the answer. I too send Alex cards but not as often as I would like to. As I have watched my mom care for my dad during his illness, I too am reminded that he has found "a good thing" and the love he receives these days is a true blessing. Proverbs 17:22 My dad has always been very funny and we even have cartoons he drew as a child to prove it. Even these days when he has little strength my mom has phoned to tell me of his gentle humour which is never too proud to find laughter in his own challenge. Perhaps my greatest memories of my dad's sense of humour are when he wasn't really trying to be funny. I think of the time on one of our trips to Europe with my mom, ever the nurse, was asking each of us how regular we had been the past week. When she asked dad how many times he had been he answered, "49 times." He hadn't been paying attention and was busy calculating out loud (probably something like our expenses for the day.) The number forty-nine is forever etched in our family lore. My father's humour maybe the reason why we have two children. When we only had one, I spent a late night in Calgary with my brother Jim sharing laughs about things our father (whom we often call the Big M) had said and done. The next day I thought to myself, "My son needs this experience!" When I imagine my children as adults, I hope they too can find an evening or two of laughter in me, that I too can be a source of the good medicine of the cheerful heart. |