Daylight Shavings Time

That's what my Dad would call it when we'd change the time every year in the Spring.

Daylight Shavings Time.

For pretty much my entire life, my Dad would grow a beard for half the year. He's keep his face shaved for the summer, but then grow the beard in the winter.

Then in the Spring when we all change our clocks forward an hour, he’d shave it all off again. He called it his silent protest against the changing of the time

So instead of Daylight Savings time, in our house we would refer to it as "Daylight Shavings Time." Of course, when the clocks returned back in the Fall, that was known as "Standard Bearded Time."

You could always tell what time of year a picture of him was taken based on the presence or lack of hair on his face.

This story is so indicative of my Dad. The routine and pun-tactic-ness of it all, plus the fact that he was a walking time piece. His coworkers still laugh in reverence of his weekly wardrobe. He assigned each day to a different shirt, wearing the same shirts in the same order each week. If you looked in his closet he’s be able to tell you, “Well, this is my Monday shirt, this one’s my Tuesday shirt …” and so on. For him it created a system; for them, he was a living reminder of what day of the week it was.

It's little things like this that we don't always realize we'll miss about those we love once they're gone.

I remember crying during the first Super Bowl after his passing only because for him it was like a holiday. I was already mourning him each time another holiday passed in that "year of firsts," but didn't anticipate that Super Bowl would hit me like Christmas and New Years.

If I had a beard to grow, I'd probably be shaving it now in his memory.

But instead, I wanted to share this little story on my blog for today.

Take note today to notice whatever quirks the people you love have. Cherish them, even (or especially) if they are annoying and corny and make you roll your eyes. They will most likely feel dear to you one day. You might as well make today that day so you can laugh together at their silly puns, enjoy all the secular holidays, and make traditions that you can continue on even after they’re gone.