Will You be Nifty at Ninety?

I must share with you all that my father is so nifty at the age of 90. I had the honor of celebrating my parents' birthdays with them last month. Mom turned 87 and she is the reason for my father's long life. She basically told him that if he was not alive for their 50th anniversary, she would make life difficult for him...she was serious. He had already had one open-heart surgery and was not all that well. They have now celebrated over 60 years of marriage.

So back to the birthday party. My parents invited over 100 friends for a late lunch. Only one or two were their age. Everyone else, by default, was younger.They kept inviting and inviting right up until the day before the event. If people had not had to dig out of over a foot of fresh snow, I am sure we would not have had seats for all of them. The ones that did make it were more than ready for a delicious lunch and entertainment.

So why is my dad so nifty? His mother died from the flu just before he was born. His father already had two young children. My father was adopted out only to have to leave that family at the age of 11 because of violence and divorce.

Dad ended up back with his biological father, just dropped off there by his adoptive mother...the only mother he had ever known. By this time, his father had remarried so that his two children (Dad's siblings) could have a mother. The surprise came when this new mother revealed that she already had six daughters by a previous marriage and they all ended up living in a blended family. Of course, my father was just one more mouth to feed. Luckily, his older brother showed him love as the rest of his world tumbled down around him.

Fast forward. Dad is so nifty...he has had to be resilient over the years. He "died" at the age of 87, had an out -of-body experience, another open-heart surgery and a remarkable recovery. Again, my mother stepped in and told him that she did not want him to end up like all of those "old" people in the nursing home where he was sent to recover because there were no rooms at the cardiac rehab center. She expected him to come home and soon. He still had to remodel their home and the job was waiting for him.

Dad is so nifty. He just "buzzed" me on Instant Messenger. He is uploading pictures from the party to his computer. He is a gadget guy and loves to learn about new technology.

Dad is so nifty. He loves his God. He loves his wife, his one and only. He loves his children. He prays. He is active in his church. He volunteers for "Operation Lifeline" to support our troops. He plays cards and can still bowl over 200.

Dad is so nifty at 90 because he is grateful for every day he has to live. I am too. I would love to have him around for another 90, setting an example on how to age gracefully and gratefully.

Dad is so nifty. Thank you for allowing me to share with you how proud I am of my nifty dad.

With love, compassion and empowerment,

animal lover Amelia