A Voice from the Past

Listening to the voice of my father-in-law, recorded more than fifteen years ago, I remember why I miss him so. He was a man without guile, having no need or desire to impress a single soul. He had a ready laugh for the human condition, beginning with his own. He had a genuine curiosity about life, with little need to defend his views or ideas (with the exception of an occasional close-minded Baptist preacher, whom he engaged in bouts of scripture wresting until they wearied of the sport and came around no more). He was genuinely content with the simple joys of life, having no need for sophisticated entertainment or consumption. He was down-to-earth, genuinely in love with the mystery and wonders of creation. He had a zest for life, without fear of death. So many of these things which define what I consider fulfillment, so easily seen in his life, elude me altogether, or are grasped only with much difficulty. I wish I could talk with him more to learn how he came by these traits I so admire.