Heinz-sight

How many of you know the number of the Heinz Steak Sauce? That's the number I turn on the third of November in the year two thousand twenty-six. At the end of the week, the wee little laddie in yellow in this photo will be 19. Seven days after that, his brother will be 21. If you know the number of the Heinz Varieties, then you can do the math to know how old I was when I became a dad. What a blessing they've been to me! I have treasured these many years with them, even when some of the days have been tough. It's not like I've been a walk in the park for them all the time. By the grace of God, we get along, and a common admiration of classic vehicles is just one element that has built our relationship over the years.

All puns are intended, by the way. My next older sibling gave me a T-shirt a couple of months ago that proclaimed that loudly and clearly. "Intend your puns, you cowards!" She knows me so well.

My two little ones met Fake Mater at a Touch-A-Truck event held at the Cole Land Transportation and World War II Museum in Bangor, Maine, several years ago. The first thing I want you to know is that Bangor is pronounced "Bang-gore," not "Bang-er." The more important information is that if you're ever in Bangor, Maine, and you want something to do (especially on rainy days between Memorial Day and Veterans Day), a visit to the Cole Land Transportation Museum is time well spent. And if you can squeeze it in, the Maine Air Museum, located at the end of the runway of the Bangor International Airport, is much more interesting than it looks from the outside. We spent hours in both over the years, and they were easy on the wallet.

After meeting Fake Mater that day, the boys were excited to discover that the truck belonged to someone in our town. We would drive by the owner's property on our way home from Cub Scouts sometimes, and Fake Mater was usually parked in the field. It was a highlight for two kids who didn't always grasp that it was Fake Mater. I didn't spoil it for them.

Classic car shows, trips to the grandparents' timeshare in the summer for a week of swimming and playing with cousins, visits from other cousins, annual camping trips with church friends, weekly lake beach trips with Mom, or family time at the city pool to pass the summers, seeing their other grandpa at his hay farm, attending Boy Scout events and camp, going to minor league and major league baseball games, taking family day trips around the state of Maine to enjoy great scenery, fun activities, and good food, and so many more amazing adventures have blessed our lives together.

We have had some very tough times, too. In 2019, they almost lost their mom. My wife contracted pneumonia and Influenza A at the same time. She was hospitalized one day, and twenty-four hours later, her lungs collapsed, her kidneys failed, and she slipped into a coma. We were told she wouldn't survive, or if she did, she would need a kidney transplant. The boys were 11 and 13.

By the mercy of God, she recovered, and she didn't need a kidney transplant. Her kidneys function, but they are damaged, and she wears out easily. Five years later, she was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery successfully removed the cancer, but she underwent chemotherapy to make sure it was all gone. By the end of 2024, she was declared cancer-free. The effects of her treatment left her with permanent weakness, but she is still with us. She's a fighter.

One of the boys has permanent challenges with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. The other is hampered by poor choices and decision-making. However, we love both of them, and I am thankful to be their dad, even when they are exasperating. lol. They love me, even when I am exasperating. They've told me.

We're celebrating tonight. Most years, I let them pick the restaurant, but I've chosen this time. I don't know if Texas Roadhouse has Heinz 57 sauce, or if I'd even use it, but since this is my 57th birthday, I decided I'd lean into it and go there. The one turning 19 this week got his present early--a new phone. The one turning 21 next week got tickets to a WWE event this Friday. Our group dinner was my choice. Happy birthday to us!

In Heinz-sight, it's been a wonderful 57 years. Here's to many more!