Years ago, a character in one of my plays unveiled a painting on stage and said,
“I call this one ‘parent’. You see, my Dad passed away when I was 12 and my mother became both to me from that point on”.
That was true in my life and ended up in my play.
Today is Father’s Day. On this date in 2009 Mum passed away. In so many ways the celebration of the day belongs to both of them.
Since their passing, both have directly influenced work for the stage. In Dad’s case it was “Lies My Father Told Me” and with Mum it was “Dancing In The Mist”. (The latter is currently on tour.) My parents provided rich material to mold into plays… and for that and my upbringing I am grateful.
I can say with confidence that my parents were good people. Sure, they had their quirks and foibles (who doesn’t?) but they forged ahead often trying to overcome the latter.
I knew them as a partnership for the first twelve years of my life. Short as it may be, it instilled in me a very grounded view of “how it should be” – tempered with love and respect. They also instilled in me my love for the arts and encouraged my own “expressions bizzaire” via drawing, painting, music and theatre.
They taught me through example the better parts of humanity… kindness, and honor, and compassion. They encouraged… nay, insisted on my independence despite the physical inconvenience I was afflicted with at a young age. Above all, they taught me to never give up… even with my most insane ideas.
You provided me the tools to traverse this journey. You gave me life and you were two of the greatest gifts of my life. So, Thank You, Harold & Gertie.