Father's Day has changed for me now. Instead of a long boat ride to some small restaurant on the lake, I have to rely on the memories of those moments.
My dad loved the lake. Any chance he had, he would be on the water, as long as it didn't conflict with his tee-off time.
I moved away when I was pretty young, so I didn't get as many rides on the water as I did when I got older. They were confined to the few visits a year, especially on Father's Day. We still managed to have a great time together, despite the circumstances.
We were bombing up the lake, one day, and his hat flew off. A black hat, no less. Trying to spot it in the water as we turned around to get it proved most difficult. Lake Muskoka is not blue like Lake Joseph, and the hat blended well with its background. My dad made several slow-speed passes in the area to locate it. We both thought it was gone. As we began to pull away, I spotted it close to the boat. I was able to reach way out and grab it quickly. My dad was throttling up the boat as this was happening. With my arm reaching way out, I grabbed it. The weight of the water in the cap and the speed of the boat combined to dislocate my shoulder. Nothing a dad can't fix with a modified high five.
I cherish those moments now and relive them even more vividly in my mind these days.
Give them a hug and Happy Father's day from us.
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