Bottom of the News… Friday, January 18, 2008

“Remembering My Dad, Stan Drewelow”

Good morning my fellow Rotarians… It is good to be back and I must tell you how much I appreciate your prayers, notes and messages of encouragement over the past few weeks.

My dad, Stan Drewelow, went home on January 8th. He battled his last couple of weeks in the final stages of leukemia and his final passing was a blessing for all of us, especially my Mom. This has been a sad/glad time for my family and, at my dad’s insistence; we celebrated his life. We laughed and we cried and it was a precious and wonderful time with family and friends.

So, if you don’t mind, I want to share a couple of things that always amazed me about my dad…

First, in 1980, at the age of 48 he discovered computer programming. He starting reading and taking classes to teach himself about mainframe languages and eventually became a programmer, an analyst, a web designer and he was a code writer for Y2K work.

This became his passion and he earned the nickname of the “Wizard” from his colleagues at MCI, National Computer Systems and ACT. Guys half his age with MIS degrees would recruit him to be their trouble shooter on their team because he had a knack of figuring things out. His work spanned the globe and with a Google search his name can be found on many websites in several countries. As I have seen from many emails and calls, his work and passion impacted people around the world.

Second, my Dad was an eternal optimist (sometimes unrealistically so according to my mom) and he always gave people the benefit of the doubt (except for us kids, of which we had 8!). He loved people and this really hit home for me when I was preparing my thoughts to share at his service. In looking through his computer one of his last emails was to a friend and it said this… “It’s not what you write on your tombstone, but rather what you write on someone’s heart.”

Okay, the last thing I want to share about my dad is that he loved to eat and all the holiday food was a thrill and yet a challenge for him, as it is for many of us. He also knew about my Bottom of the News duties and he would send me things. In early December he sent me a poem entitled “The Week After the Holidays” and I’m sure you will recognize the theme…

'Twas the week after the holidays, and all through the house,nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.The cookies I'd nibble, the eggnog I'd taste,all the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales, there arose such a number!

When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber). I remembered the marvelous meals I prepared...The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared.

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,and the way I never never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,and prepared once again to battle the dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can, "You can't spend a winter dressed like a man!"

So away with the last of the sour cream dip,get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,until all the additional ounces have vanished!

I won't have a cookie, not even a lick.I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick, not!
I won't have hot biscuits, or cornbread, or pie.I'll munch on a carrot -- and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,but isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot, Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Well, I can’t really call this the Bottom of the News, but I do appreciate the time to share about my Dad on this Friday, January 18, 2008. Thank you!
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