Happy Birthday, Dad

Harry Louis Garison, Sr. – known to his friends as “Buddy” – was born August 25, 1928, in Orange County, Texas, the second son of Stanley and Mazura Linscomb Garison. While he was still a boy, his dad – my grandad – built them another house on the same piece of land, and that’s where my dad lived until he got married. He graduated from Orangefield High School in 1944 after completing the 11th grade – that was as far as they went in those days!

Dad served a hitch in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. After his time in the army, he moved back home and went to work as an auto mechanic. He and my mom were married in 1957; Hurricane Audrey slammed into the Texas & Louisiana coast the same week. Dad was such a “confirmed” bachelor, his friends teased him that when he finally DID get married, it caused a hurricane!

(The picture is mom & dad & yours truly, all wearing matching shirts that my grandmother made for us.)

He and mom moved into the house when my brothers and I all grew up; it’s the house he still lives in today. It’s literally within a quarter of a mile of where he was born and raised. He’s quite proud of the fact that, except for his time in the service, he has lived on the same land his whole life.

Mom & dad raised the four of us boys, and later, became “unofficial” step-parents for my brother David’s girlfriend, who would eventually become his wife. The whole time we were growing up, there was one bathroom. THAT will teach you some patience!

As I mentioned, dad was an auto mechanic. For a good number of years, he was co-owner of a Texaco station there; later, he opened a shop where he could just work on cars, and not have to worry about pumping gas.

What I remember about my dad as a working man was how diligent and focused he was at work, but when the working day was over, he had that special gift of being able to shut it off and come home to his family, and not think about it. He was that most rare of breeds – an honest mechanic. And I wish I could put into words how proud it made me whenever I would meet someone who would say, “Oh, you’re Buddy’s boy. You know, your dad is the only man I trust to work on my car.”

I was in elementary school when my dad got serious about his faith. He had been baptized as a teenager, but later, as an adult, he came to believe that he needed to commit his life to God in a more intentional and personal way, so he was “rebaptized.” And he has stayed faithful to the Lord ever since.

He has truly set an example for my brothers and me to follow, and given us some big shoes to fill. Always tell the truth. When you give someone your word, follow through, even if it’s not easy. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Give a fair day’s work for a day’s pay. Do it right the first time.

As I was looking for some pictures of my dad to include with this article, I began noticing that in nearly every picture I have of him, he is either with my mom or some of his kids or grandkids. That’s typical. This is a man who truly put his family ahead of himself. He has lived for his God, his family, and his country, and is not ashamed of a bit of it. (This picture is from their 50th wedding anniversary.)

Dad is slowing down these days. Of course, we lost mom almost four years ago, and I know he still grieves for her. And yet, he tells me, without a shred of embarrassment, that he’s not alone in their house, because he can feel her presence all around him, and he is surrounded by so many wonderful memories.

Even though his health is failing, and he can’t walk, Dad still lives by himself – well, okay, along with his faithful German shepherd, “Chica.” He manages to get around pretty well with his electric wheelchair. He still has a garden in the back yard – he uses a golf cart to inspect it – and he can still climb on and off his riding lawn mower to keep the grass cut. His faith, his courage and his gritty determination continue to inspire me, as I think they do everyone who knows him.

Thanks for letting me tell you a little about my dad. If you’re a praying person, please say a prayer today for my dad, Buddy Garison, and please tell the Lord thank you for giving our family such a wonderful gift.

Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you.

On Thankfulness

And then there was one.

The house next door to us was hauled away a few days ago. The move had been in the works for a long time. The neighbors who used to live there have been gone for five years, and the house has long since been sitting empty. The movers put it up on I-beams some time ago, and we knew it was just a matter of time until they hooked up a big truck and took it away.

But it was still a bit of a surprise to drive up Hickory Street the other day and see a big empty lot where a nice house once stood. So now our house is the last one left on our part of North 17th Street.

Now, that’s not an altogether bad thing. The Texas Tech Health Science Center, just east of us, has announced exciting plans to expand their operations, to open a new School of Public Health and to build a new student center, which will certainly be a good thing for those studying there. We need people trained in public health issues, and goodness knows, we desperately NEED the nurses, pharmacists, and other health care workers that will come from there.

The neighbors that used to live next door have moved a few blocks away, but we still see them, and the kids still participate in our activities here. (And the cats that used to live under the house there – well, I’m sure they’ve found new homes as well!) But it’s still sad to see an empty lot where a friend’s house once stood. And it’s sad to think about the good times and fellowship we had with those around us, who are now gone.

Life goes on. We learn, fairly early on, that change is part of life. We cannot hold on to the present, no matter how hard we try. Nothing is this life is permanent. Neighbors move away – sometimes new neighbors move in. Jobs end. Children grow up and leave home. Parents grow old and die. That is the ultimate reality in this world.

C.S. Lewis once pointed out that no good thing in this life can be permanent – that’s part of God’s design. If we mistake the blessings that we have here for eternal joy, then we might forget that we were meant for higher, greater things. Blessings are meant to encourage us, to strength us, and yes, to BLESS us, but no blessing in this world is eternal.

So when a neighbor moves, or a house is gone, or any other blessing that we have been enjoying is taken away, we have two options. We can either become angry, sullen and depressed that it is gone. Or we be can be appreciative that we had that blessing to enjoy for a time, and give thanks to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, trusting that He has even better blessings in store for us.

God give me the grace to choose to be thankful.