My father was not a wealthy man, but he left a legacy that will be hard to follow.

My father had many interests and passions as well as dreams. Many of his dreams did not ever come true; perhaps it was part of seeing some of his disappointment (that he seldom showed) that I motivated me to learning about turning dreams into goals.  But whatever, he was a great man with many acquaintances and friends that respected him.

Several months after he passed away in 2001, a hiking club that he was a member of and for a time, held the office of President, inquired of our family about holding a “Memorial Hike” in his honour.  Naturally, we were all quite pleased and honoured ourselves that our dad - and to my mom, her husband, would be remembered in such a way.


The Memorial Hike has now become an annual event in the autumn - my father’s favorite time of the year for hiking in Ontario, with the incredible and dazzling displays of yellows, browns, and crimson reds in the leaves that we are lucky to be able to enjoy in the fall.

Due to some miscommunication issues about the actual date of the hike and directions to the access point for the trail, I arrived about 45 minutes late, after the hike had started.  However, my “wee man” and I enjoyed walking around the area on our own, taking in lots of fresh air and having fun together.

About an hour later, we viewed some of the group of hikers returning to their vehicles; one in the group was my brother.  After spotting me, my brother approached me and we both decided we’d go along the trail together with my little son even though the official hike was done.

I wasn’t able to count the number of people that had showed up for this hike in memory of my dad.  There were several different groups, but it was inspiring to me to realize that I was the son of a man, perhaps not a wealthy man, perhaps a man that had many of his dreams dashed, but a man that was respected by many.  A  man who had left a legacy in so many different ways, with his passion for life, his wisdom, his strong beliefs that he sometimes wavered from, sometimes as life went on and he learned more things, he’d adapt his beliefs to new knowledge, made mistakes, but all in all, life was good and something to be treasured, and loved ones especially to be valued.  When I was but a youth, and needed some advice about a romantic interest, he said to me, “Don’t ever mess around with other people’s hearts, and don’t be afraid of having yours broken while at the same time, living as if it won’t be.”

My father was not wealthy, but he was wise.  Another time, when I entered an occupation that he had been employed in, and meeting many that knew my dad and had nothing but wonderful complimentary things to say about him, I called him up and said, “Dad, I’ll never be able to fill your shoes.”

Without a pause, my wise father said to me in his wonderful Northern Irish accent, “Son, don’t ye worry about filling my shoes, for you have your own shoes to fill.”

At his funeral, I expected that the chapel at the funeral home would be nearly full.  However, the funeral home had to turn on cameras and provide TV access in other rooms of the Funeral Home to accommodate the overflow crowd that had attended.  I recall looking around and seeing people from every race, creed and religion at my father’s funeral - people I had no idea of who they were, all there to honour him. And after his funeral, there were many more messages of regret from folk who were unable to attend.

What is the legacy that you want to leave behind?  My father has left a legacy for people who didn’t even know him.  He has a grandson that he never knew, and that grandson takes such a strong interest in learning more about who is grandad was, and wants to be like him.

I know my dad was not perfect.  He made some mistakes in his life.  But, he took personal responsibility for his life, and he knew how to love those that were important to him - even when those people doubted him at times, he would come through.

I miss my dad.  And I’m honoured that for even a bit of time today, I was able to participate in some way, along with my “wee man,” the grandson he never knew, walking along trails that my he enjoyed in the Autumn.

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