Pat and I had our grandson Liam stay with us part of this past weekend. He is 5½ and about to turn 6 the last day of August.
As we rode around in the golf cart, tried to hunt gophers, went out to eat, and did several other things it got me to thinking how good of a grandfather am I andwhatkindofagranddad do I want to be.
The thought quickly came to me that I hope I can be the granddad to Liam that my grandfather Doc was to me.
His official name was Dr. H.J. Lynch, DC, who was a practicing chiropractor for more than 60 years.
We called him “Doc.” That’s what everyone in the family, and most others, affectionately called him.
I was so fortunate to have been blessed to be the oldest of his 19 grandchildren. After my biological mother had passed away when I was 3½ years old, he sort of took me under his wing.
It was Doc who recorded my mother’s final words to me on the eve of her death, “Good night baby doll.”
My dad’s work took him on the road quite a bit.
But that didn’t really matter. I was drawn to my grandfather from the start, I guess, and spent as much time being around him as possible, along with my grandmother Lynch.
He taught me how to fish, andwewentfishingasoften as possible. He loved baseball, and he could throw with either arm.
We played catch frequently, we watched Dizzy DeanandPeeWeeReeseon the weekends and when I started playing ball, he was there to watch me when he could.
My dad coached me for many years.
When I was young, I stayed with Doc and grandmother on weekends when possible. We’d stay up and watch TV, have long talks. I loved being around him.
When we went to my Uncle Hal’s acreage on Sunday afternoons, the last mile or so was on a dirt road and when I was still small enough he’d let me get in his lap and steer the car on the “dirty road.” The time I got to spend with him was priceless.
I don’t remember ever Doc having to raise his voice to me.
I just respected him so much.
I hope some day to be able to teach Liam how to hunt. We hunt gophers some when he’s here, but I hope his parents will let me teach him how to hunt like my dad taught me.
His dad can teach him how to fish and to shoot and maybeIcanteachhimsome about hunting and being in the woods.
I hope I can provide him many good times like Doc did with me and as he gets older he’ll never forget those after I’m no longer around.
Family, bar none, was most important to Doc, and I share that same belief.
If I have a regret, it’s only that as I grew older into an adult that I didn’t spend more time with this man who had such an impact on my life.
As I look back, though, I am sure he loved me and I loved him. Thanks to Doc for being such an important part of my life. I hope some day Liam can say the same thing about me.
In early December of 1984, Doc suffered an aortic aneurysm and was rushed to the hospital.
My wife and I drove to the OKC hospital that night. He was hooked up to a ventilator that night and couldn’t see or hear us. He would remain that way for three weeks until he passed on the final day of 1984, six days after his 87th birthday.
He had lived a full life. He had given so much to so many people, not in terms of money, but in so many other ways.