My daughter, Debra, has a birthday today. She was my first child. With two such young, stupid, naive parents, it is a wonder she made it.
She was born at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California ... years ago, I will leave it at that.
Her parents, a young Navy couple, living in an apartment in San Diego, fortunately, with good neighbors who helped us get started raising a baby. Debra became the child of an entire apartment building, everyone offered to help, they all helped us become parents ..... with a new daughter.
Shortly after that, I was transferred to ship, out of Seattle, and we made the trip in an old, Nash Ambassador, how I don't know. We found an apartment, moved in, and a day or so later, the ship sailed, and Mom and Baby were alone in Seattle, but, with great neighbors, who again helped us out.
Won't go in to details, out of Navy, lived in Reno, back to Ohio .... then a divorce ... a rather messy one .... my last visit with Deb, I was granted a weekend with her, but had to get a motel ... took her to the Montgomery County Fair, saw the Everly Brothers .... a lasting impression on me ..... Debra, walking all the way down to a better vantage point ..... arms folded, watching them sing. I have had that image in my head since that day.
Then, an absence of many years, at least 20, maybe more, and then, a phone call, a strip to New York, and we were reunited again .... so thankful for that day.
We arrived at her house in Beacon, New York, I still feel some of the anticipation, to see my daughter, who I have loved all these years, but not seen, or been with. I last saw here as "my little girl" ..... now grown up .... this scenario seems to vary, according to who you are talking with (Donna Viscardo knows the truth as does son Dean). she was in the shower when we arrived, had just come home from work ... she was an electrician ... nice house pool, I wondered what she would look like ... how crazy is that, not knowing how my own daughter looked ... then I saw her, and the years melted away .... she was my kid again ... but, she little to nothing about her father ..... I was basically a stranger to her .... odd, to say the least.
A day I will never forget, the day we left New York, for Ohio, after spending time with my kids, after all those absent years. They were now adults, had their own lives, yet, Debra was still my little girl ... I wanted to take her home with me ... but, she had her own life .... I cried for 500 miles, I had to give my kids up again ..... difficult to explain, and I hope no one has gone through that situation or ever will.
Then, the realization, those years cannot be made up .... they are gone ..... so .... be thankful, and live the future, which we have done.
Happy Birthday Daughter, I love you ....................
