St Patrick’s day has become a very bittersweet day for me, as it was the birthday of Pat Dearth, my father and best friend. Dad was the definition of a community man. He was constantly doing things for others. If anyone needed anything at all be it handyman work, favors for neighbors and friends, building scenery for Spring Theatre, running auditions at the Little Theatre or just moral support… dad would be there with bells on. Dad had an enormously warm-hearted presence that fueled the energy at so many occasions. Dad always spoke his mind! There was never any question of where he stood on an issue or how he felt about anything. He was the classic “straight-shooter” and the most loyal and dedicated person I’ve ever known. He insisted that phones never came to the dinner table and stressed the importance of the values of hard work, commitment and love. He taught me that politics and patriotism are not the same thing and to love this country and our freedoms. Some of my favorite times with dad were the years and years and years we spent together volunteering at the Little Theatre backstage and in the scene shop. When I started my own theatre company, Spring Theatre, he designed and built every set for years, and was always especially supportive of all the kids in our youth shows. Most folks remember dad in shorts with a colorful sweat rag around his head. Dad created for hours every day in his workshop downstairs, doing scroll work so intricate and beautiful it looked like it was cut with a laser. I also loved our weekly Sunday night family dinner and game night, and all of the amazing trips around the world we got to experience together. Dad was never cold and rarely wore a jacket, even on our trip to Norway! It’s hard to believe that dad has been gone now for almost three years, but that’s probably because his spirit lives on every single day of my life in so many ways. Of course, Letters From Home is a big part of dad’s legacy as it was his idea to start the show. I’ll always remember the Sunday night dinner where he told me that I should do a 40’s show, and afterwards we gathered around his turntable and listened to many of his old records. He attended so many of the performances, and was always there to find crazy props like steering wheels, reinforce chairs we could dance on and create giant Christmas bulbs for us to dance with. On veteran’s day one year, we were on a Letters From Home tour with Serah and we called him to sing him the Coast Guard song and thank him for his service. He choked up and said it was the first time that anyone had called just to personally thank him for what he did. At every single Letters From Home show, dad’s picture now sits proudly on stages of all sizes, and I tell the story of how he started it all. 100% of all of donations, CD and T-Shirt sales goes directly to the Pat Dearth Veterans Performance Fund which allows the show to go to VA Hospitals and Veterans homes literally ALL across the country. Last year for Christmas, my mom made me an incredible quilt out of dad’s favorite t-shirts that he used to wear. The quilt includes his Coast Guard and Piedmont Airlines shirts that he wore proudly, travel shirts from some of his favorite trips, some of his theatre shirts, and several of his sarcastic shirts, reading quotes like “National sarcasm society, like we need your support”, “Everyone was born left handed, you turn right handed after you commit your first sin” and “if all the world’s a stage I want better lighting”. This quilt stays with me every single day on the road. In fact, it’s over me now, warming my legs as I write this blog. My mom is an incredible creative, wonderful, strong and smart woman and she made it all by herself. It is without a doubt my favorite possession. Every year on March 17th, people all across the world will toast to St Patrick… and though some of them might just be celebrating the holiday, with every clinking glass I will think of it as a celebration for the greatest man I ever knew.
5 Comments
|