Date: 3/21/2024
This past Tuesday, March 19 would have been the 104th birthday of my dad, who we said goodbye to almost twenty years ago. Born on St. Joseph’s Day, my grandmother gave him the name Joseph, and in many respects, he role modeled St. Joseph as the provider and protector of our family. Each year that he has been gone, I compose a brief message to him, thanking him for his impact of my life and his unselfish dedication to his family. His dedication to our family was second only to his dedication to his faith and his commitment to his Catholic faith, which he clearly exhibited every day of his life.
The year that I was born, my mother prayed to deliver me on March 19, but I decided that March 23 would be the day that I made my entrance into this world. Despite my being four days “late,” mom still wanted me to share my dad’s name, and while not a junior, I was proud to be called Joseph after my father. Over the years, due to the closeness of our birthdays, mom always held a party where we celebrated each of our special days. I was always proud of the fact that I shared this celebration with my dad, it was our special day, and over the years it cemented the bond between father and son.
I have a number of close friends who have all experienced the passing of their fathers and their mothers. When we gather together, we sometimes reminisce, and share stories of our dads and their impact on our lives. When we have these discussions, we never use the phrase, “lost our father,” or “lost our mothers,” because each of us feels that we carry a small part of our parents inside us that always reminds us of all the great times we had together as a family. As long as we have these memories, we will never “lose” them from our minds or our hearts.
On March 19, I wrote my dad a Facebook post, included a picture of him and wished him a happy “heavenly” birthday. I use the same picture every year, one of him smiling his Joe Marchese smile and his beautiful blue eyes. When I hit “post,” I know in my heart that he has received my message, and once again, we celebrate our special day together as father and son. Happy Birthday Dad!