Shared with permission from Kendra Farn in memory of her father Gary Farn, June 26, 2020
Twenty years ago today my dad, my hero, and my role model in life was taken away far too early. Over the past few months, every time I reflect I am brought back to my father and left wondering how he would be feeling during these sad and challenging times in our country.
What conversations he would be having with me. A proud 82nd Airborne guy he was the most patriotic person I’ve ever known, fighting back tears during the National Anthem at every sporting event he attended.
I remember as a reporter covering 9/11, staring at ground zero and thinking about how destroyed he would be to see the unthinkable attacks on US soil and the thousands of lives lost and actually relieved that he was spared from witness it all.
And now I am here again with the state of our country today. As a serious asthmatic who would end up in the ER if he was without his inhaler, how would he handle COVID-19 isolation and not leaving his home?
While he never got to meet my girls, I witnessed his love for being a grandfather to my nieces for the short time he was given that gift. How would he handle not being able to hug them? And would he watch the news every night as the death toll from Corona virus nears 127,000, or would it just be too upsetting for him?
As a father who always told my sister and me when we were fighting, “Love one another, girls,” how would he handle what I know would be deep sadness over the civil unrest in America today.
As a very successful entrepreneur, how would his fragrance company be suffering and what would he be telling me about the the unemployment rate and the future of our economy?
I am quite sure he would remind me of one of his favorite books, The Greatest Generation, by Tom Brokaw and the sacrifices EVERYONE made during the Great Depression and WW2. How on the home front today we should all have that mindset and be ONE. TOGETHER. Not fighting one another.
And finally I think he would tell me to have HOPE. Without hope, we have nothing. So here’s here’s hoping my dad will be looking down in a few months on his beloved America and it looks more like the one he left in 20 years ago in 2000. Until then, he will continue to be an guiding light in my daily strength and reflection.
Love and miss you dad more than you could ever know..
