Giving Honor to Whom Honor Is Due

A little over seven years ago, my dad, at the young age of 70, officially retired from his medical practice and looked ahead to the future.  I'm sure he had no idea whatsoever how big a role in his retirement a nearby clinic would play.

The clinic is called Heartland, and it serves the needs of various groups in our Old Order and conservative Mennonite community--some of whom were Dad's patients through the years, and some of whom were his dad's patients once upon a time!  :)  Ever since Dad retired, he has played a back-up role at the clinic, helping out by giving advice or by filling in when the other personnel were away.  And for quite a few months, he actually helped the clinic stay open when the PA who was working there moved on and left a gap that took the board a little while to fill.  

Dad has loved the clinic, and I do believe it's accurate to say he is well-loved by the clinic.  :)

A few weeks ago, the board and other personnel of the clinic held a short ceremony and a reception to honor Dad; and we were delighted to be at that.

Benjamin, of course, was delighted to find something with wheels to play with while we were waiting for the ceremony to start!  :)

Someone from the clinic told me that they had thought about opening it up to all the patients of the clinic, but knew there was no way they could handle such a large crowd...and indeed, I'm sure that's very true.

The crowd that was there, however, (maybe half of whom are pictured above) gave a vivid glimpse of how much appreciation there is in the community for Dad's assistance through the years.

There was a time of sharing, and it was touching to hear the words of gratitude flow from the lips of those gathered.

The lady below, standing beside Dad, is Donna, the office manager and, I believe, the chief organizer of the event.  From my interactions with her, I can attest to the fact that she is a jewel with a heart of joyful caring.

As the talking went on, Benjamin got a little restless and preferred to march up and down the hill to explore new territory.  I had passed the camera off to Josiah, so he got a lot of these shots, including these great ones of his littlest brother.  :)

As a continuing memorial to their gratitude, the people of the clinic had planted a tree in honor of Dad--an October Glory maple, which is the same variety as two of the ones we have here by our driveway. In addition, a sign was made to stand at the base of the tree.

The stand for this sign was made by an Old Order buggy-maker who lives very close to the clinic.  It's hard to see the detail in this photo, but the stand itself is a work of art.  Incidentally, Moriah took a special liking to this stand-maker, and an enduring image I have in my head (but not in a photo, out of respect for the practices of Old Orders in regards to photography) is Moriah perched on a bench beside this older gentleman at the end of the evening.  She was growing tired, but was content to be there with him, chattering away about this or that; and he was so kind to listen to and talk with her.  :)

At some point, Tobin passed his cowboy hat off to Benjamin.  :)

Benjamin and David have such a sweet relationship.

It was great to have Dad's brother Rufus (they don't look anything alike, do they?)  ;-)  and his wife Elaine there. 

It is always a treat to spend time with them...

...and they always bring a jovial mood along with them.  :)

Two weeks after the ceremony, the kids and I drove up to the clinic and took a look at "Grandpa's tree." Sure enough, the leaves had changed colors; and although the leaves in this area have been dull across the board this year, it gave us a glimpse of the glory that awaits in coming years.  :)

You know, it's one thing to know and respect and love someone deeply.  It's another thing to see that admiration and affection being given to them by others who know them.  What a heart-warming evening this was!  What a treasure to see Dad be honored in this way!  What gratitude fills my heart as I think about the kindnesses that have been shown to Dad at the clinic since the fall of 2010!

Sometimes it sounds like Dad might want to retire again  ;-)  -- to stop being the fill-in doctor at the clinic.  But it doesn't take long until he's saying again, "I think I'll drop by the clinic today and see how things are going..." :)

What a special place...and a special man...and a very special evening!!  :)