Page 36 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2025 - Online Magazine
P. 36
by Spencer Swindell
y father, who was born My dad’s time in Vietnam taught dinner. He has never missed an
on April 23, 1949, is more him discipline, resilience, and important moment. He knew how
Mthan just the man who perspective. Those qualities much those things mattered to me,
raised me—he is a living example carried over into every part of his and so they mattered to him, too.
of sacrifice and unwavering love. fatherhood. I hope one day that My dad has never lost his sense
He served in the Vietnam War I will be half the parent he is to of humor or willingness to be
during the mid-1970s and came me. I will tell my kids how much I involved. Every day after school
back as a good, gracious father, enjoyed having him for a dad and he would ask, “How was school?”
mentor, and veteran of a war how much respect I have for him. He wanted to hear more than just a
that was fought for decades. I “good” or “bad”; he wanted to be
remember, as a young boy, I would My dad always loves saying, “It involved.
always make sure that all my is not where you start; it is where
friends knew that my dad was a you finish.” I am finally starting to Dad is the kind of person who will
veteran and that I was proud of really realize the point of this quote. spend his entire Saturday helping
him. It is still something I do to It means your beginnings don’t a neighbor fix something, without
this day with my friends, teachers, define your future. What matters expecting anything in return. I
and peers. I knew my father most is how you work hard and think that generous spirit may have
served in the Vietnam War but, as grow and where you end up, not grown out of what he experienced
a child, I didn’t fully understand where you came from. in war. He understands how fragile
the magnitude of that service. He One of my favorite things about life is, and he chooses to spend his
attended the University of Texas my dad is how he never acted like time giving and loving without
in Austin and then enlisted in the he was too busy for his children. hesitation. That is rare in today’s
Army, headed for the most difficult He works hard to provide for us world, and I consider myself lucky
and controversial war in American yet always finds time to be at every when I think of that quality about
history. school event, game, or family my father.
36 Lubbock Senior Link
