A Dad's Expression of Love

In the old comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," Calvin is a grade school boy and Hobbes is a toy stuffed tiger that comes to life through Calvin's vivid imagination. I always enjoyed the comic, but really connected with Calvin's dad on the rare occasion he appeared. Perhaps not surprisingly, I learned that Calvin's dad is portrayed as a patent attorney who loves to ride his bicycle. 

One day, over 25 years ago, I received in the mail an envelope from my dad. No letter or note of any kind rested inside. Rather, a single, folded clipping from the Sunday comics of a local newspaper revealed the above Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Dad read it one Sunday morning, thought of me, and simply dropped it in the mail.

Dad didn't know that I loved Calvin and Hobbes and he certainly did not know that Calvin's dad was a patent attorney. He just thought of me with my cycling adventures and my challenging career. And he wanted me to know that.

Dad's actions always spoke louder than his words. I think this mailing was Dad's way of expressing his understanding and appreciation of my journey, even though it differed substantially from his own. 

But I don't know. Maybe he just thought it was funny.

Clifford G. Groseth, at age 88 in 2022.

Dad passed away on November 30, 2022. Much has changed, within and without our family, over this past year. He would have loved to have been a part of all of it. And his presence would have filled every family situation. In many ways, it still does. 

We miss him dearly.

The Obituary I wrote last year is reproduced here. Clifford G. Groseth (1934-2022).

Also, here's a blog post that I wrote as a Father's Day gift to him in 2018. The Best Coach I Ever Had. 

Clifford G. Groseth, at age 18 in 1952.