A chip off the old block.....

Many people at my dad's funeral were struck by the picture of my dad as a young child and how Mark is the spitting image of his grandpa. Something that in my family, we have know for quite some time. I have always thought that if my Grandma Hales was still alive she would really enjoy seeing young version of my dad. But not only does Mark look like my dad, he has similar interests. He loves trains, cars, and anything mechanical. The only love of my dad's he has not acquired yet, is that of airplanes and flying, but give him time.....

When we were up in Idaho for my dad's funeral, Mark discovered this old radio that was my dad's but originally belonged to my Great Grandpa Bunderson. My dad LOVED this radio. First because it belonged to his grandfather, but also because he grew up on radio programing. I recall the day when I was a teenager that my dad brought this radio home when his grandparents house was being cleaned out. The radio was proudly placed in our basement family room. None of us as kids were ever that enamored with it, but my dad loved it, and would turn it on every once in a while and tinker around with it. Mark was completely taken with the radio and all of its button and features. I practically had to drag him away from it for fear that he would break something in his enthusiasm to figure out this new, fun and fascinating object.

In the nature vs. nurture debate, I am firmly in the nature camp. As for me, whenever I am missing my dad, one look at my boy, and I know I have a little piece, or probably a big piece of my dad with me everyday. For that I am very thankful.