Sharing the legacy
19/02/13 05:18
About a decade after the end of the second world war, my parents were getting pretty well established in their adopted home. Their flying service was earning a bit of profit and new customers were being developed. They had been able to upgrade their small fleet of aircraft and hire a few pilots. A used twin beech provided long-range transport and a level of luxury for larger customers. But the operation was still very dependent upon the active participation of both of my parents. As their family grew the workload was also growing. A bout of spinal meningitis for my father brought them to the conclusion that they needed to diversify their business and come up with an income plan that was a bit less dependent on my father’s ability to keep up the pace of very early mornings and lots of physical work. An opportunity arose to purchase a John Deere franchise. A neighbor was wanting to retire and the small business seemed a good match for the airport business. Year-round sales would help even out the income and a move to a more managerial position within the company would provide my father with an ability to grow the business. The diversity of income sources would protect the business from some of the ups and downs of the aviation business.
And so we became a John Deere family. I used to joke that I was 25 years old before I owned a jacket without a logo on it. The choice of colors for outerwear in our family were green, green, or green, whichever you preferred. I had coveralls with my name embroidered above the left pocket Family gatherings sported paper plates, napkins and cups with the John Deere logo. We boys began to collect John Deere toys.
It has been 35 years since the John Deere dealership was sold. We’ve finally worked our way through the supply of paper cups, plates and napkins. Some of our old toys have been sold or donated. We’ve got one parka and a couple of windbreakers with the John Deere logo left, but not much else remains.
But these days John Deere gear is very popular. The stores are filled with all sorts of green and yellow things. Licensing John Deere is big business. My dad would have been amazed and pleased at the proliferation of all of the items available with the John Deere logo.
I suppose it was natural for me to raise our children with a bit of John Deere brand loyalty. Although neither are in professions related to agriculture, both had a few John Deere toys as children and they heard lots of John Deere stories growing up. There is a bit of the family story that lives on in a few t-shirts and toys as well as in the stories that we tell.
Yesterday, I watched a scene unfolding in my living room that would have put a smile on my father’s face. Our daughter had involved her sister-in-law and her mother in putting together a fleece blanket for our grandson. The material was printed with John Deere tractors and combines. When the blanket was finished, they spread it on the living room floor and Susan found a John Deere pillow that we had. A couple of John Deere toy tractors were placed in the middle and our grandson lay down for a photo opportunity. Everyone took a lot of pictures while I sat in a chair and simply enjoyed the moment. It was such a delight that it seemed as if I were sharing it with my father. I knew how much he would have loved it all.
Perhaps it is just a bit of old-age-induced sentimentality, but I do feel, at times, as if the generations are closer than outward appearances might suggest. Although my father died before our son was born, I feel as if we have been able to share some of the experiences of his life together. I know that some of my ways of being a father are very similar to those I experienced from my father. I know that some of my sayings and mannerisms were learned from him. I know that my sense of adventure was instilled by him. I recognize all sorts of quirks of humor and approaches to life that bear his mark. I can even recognize his traits in our son.
Perhaps there is no joy in life that is greater than watching your children as parents. I have such admiration for the way our son and daughter-in-law are raising their son. Sometimes I just sit back and think, “Wow! They really are good parents.” I’m sure that there is more than a small amount of ego involved. But it seems to me that it is more. There is a heritage of love and placing family at the center of life. There is a heritage of valuing the people who come into our lives. And there is a deep sense of joy in each other.
There is an old Barbara Streisand song that says, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” It is a cliché, but it is true. There is something that is inherently good about being dependent upon other people. We were not created to live alone. We were made for connections and attachments to other people. But there is more to it than sentimentality and a catchy song phrase.
As I watched my grandson yesterday I once again realized the basic truth that lies at the core of our faith: love never dies. We are mortal. We have this gift of life for just a brief moment of time. The vastness of history is far bigger than our time. We come and we go. But in the moment of our lives, we are allowed to participate in many things that are bigger than us. The love I feel for our grandson is not just a possession of my time and my generation. It is a legacy that has been inherited from parents and grandparents and generations of people who loved and treasured their children. And it is a legacy that has already been passed on to a new generation.
The John Deere logo is fun – and it has become a symbol for our family of something much bigger. We’ll keep passing it on from generation to generation.
And so we became a John Deere family. I used to joke that I was 25 years old before I owned a jacket without a logo on it. The choice of colors for outerwear in our family were green, green, or green, whichever you preferred. I had coveralls with my name embroidered above the left pocket Family gatherings sported paper plates, napkins and cups with the John Deere logo. We boys began to collect John Deere toys.
It has been 35 years since the John Deere dealership was sold. We’ve finally worked our way through the supply of paper cups, plates and napkins. Some of our old toys have been sold or donated. We’ve got one parka and a couple of windbreakers with the John Deere logo left, but not much else remains.
But these days John Deere gear is very popular. The stores are filled with all sorts of green and yellow things. Licensing John Deere is big business. My dad would have been amazed and pleased at the proliferation of all of the items available with the John Deere logo.
I suppose it was natural for me to raise our children with a bit of John Deere brand loyalty. Although neither are in professions related to agriculture, both had a few John Deere toys as children and they heard lots of John Deere stories growing up. There is a bit of the family story that lives on in a few t-shirts and toys as well as in the stories that we tell.
Yesterday, I watched a scene unfolding in my living room that would have put a smile on my father’s face. Our daughter had involved her sister-in-law and her mother in putting together a fleece blanket for our grandson. The material was printed with John Deere tractors and combines. When the blanket was finished, they spread it on the living room floor and Susan found a John Deere pillow that we had. A couple of John Deere toy tractors were placed in the middle and our grandson lay down for a photo opportunity. Everyone took a lot of pictures while I sat in a chair and simply enjoyed the moment. It was such a delight that it seemed as if I were sharing it with my father. I knew how much he would have loved it all.
Perhaps it is just a bit of old-age-induced sentimentality, but I do feel, at times, as if the generations are closer than outward appearances might suggest. Although my father died before our son was born, I feel as if we have been able to share some of the experiences of his life together. I know that some of my ways of being a father are very similar to those I experienced from my father. I know that some of my sayings and mannerisms were learned from him. I know that my sense of adventure was instilled by him. I recognize all sorts of quirks of humor and approaches to life that bear his mark. I can even recognize his traits in our son.
Perhaps there is no joy in life that is greater than watching your children as parents. I have such admiration for the way our son and daughter-in-law are raising their son. Sometimes I just sit back and think, “Wow! They really are good parents.” I’m sure that there is more than a small amount of ego involved. But it seems to me that it is more. There is a heritage of love and placing family at the center of life. There is a heritage of valuing the people who come into our lives. And there is a deep sense of joy in each other.
There is an old Barbara Streisand song that says, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” It is a cliché, but it is true. There is something that is inherently good about being dependent upon other people. We were not created to live alone. We were made for connections and attachments to other people. But there is more to it than sentimentality and a catchy song phrase.
As I watched my grandson yesterday I once again realized the basic truth that lies at the core of our faith: love never dies. We are mortal. We have this gift of life for just a brief moment of time. The vastness of history is far bigger than our time. We come and we go. But in the moment of our lives, we are allowed to participate in many things that are bigger than us. The love I feel for our grandson is not just a possession of my time and my generation. It is a legacy that has been inherited from parents and grandparents and generations of people who loved and treasured their children. And it is a legacy that has already been passed on to a new generation.
The John Deere logo is fun – and it has become a symbol for our family of something much bigger. We’ll keep passing it on from generation to generation.