My Father

Today was the first Father's Day on which I couldn't call my dad and tell him I love him. I really missed hearing him pick up the phone saying, “Oh! Charlotte! I knew it was you!” in his jolly voice.

He passed away in January after a long bout with cancer. Every time I talked with him in his final months, I reminisced about our favorite memories, I told him how much I loved him, and thanked him for being an incredible father. I always knew that he loved me deeply and was proud of me. I am so grateful that he passed his endless enthusiasm on to me; I’m grateful that he pushed me to always be better. He told me so much about art and architecture that I can’t see a beautiful (or an ugly) building without composing his possible commentary in my head.

I miss him so much, but I am grateful to know that he will always be my father and I will always be his daughter, and that, in years to come, we will have plenty of moments to enthusiastically talk about buildings, my kids, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, through which our eternal relationship is possible.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!

This is my dad holding Samuel after he was blessed in church. I love how my dad smiled with his whole face. (Look at Samuel's shirt: it's the cover of my dad's book!)

This is my dad about the time I was born, at his typewriter, preparing lectures for his classes at Princeton University. I found this tag yesterday on a Hawaiian shirt. It says, "RJC MADE IN HAWAII, USA" My Dad's initials are RJC and he was born in Hawaii!! What a coincidence!