today would have been my father’s 82nd birthday…
In thinking of Digger today
I am reminded of the “It’s a teapot” story
the year we bought mom a tv and vcr for xmas
apparently as the story goes when I was quite young – before there was a brother and sister
dad took me shopping for xmas
we bought mom a teapot
on the way home he admonished me over and over “don’t tell your mom” “it’s a secret” “don’t say anything
to which I solemnly swore repeatedly “I won’t…it’s a secret”
we walked in the door
mom said “what a lovely box – what did you buy”
and I responded with “it’s a teapot!”
so back to the tv
we’d hidden it at Diggers
and he was leaving mom’s on the 23rd and said – “I guess I should get home so you kids can pickup your mom’s tv”
and then realized what he said and muttered “fuck” very quietly
Kelly and mom were sitting on the couch
they looked at one another and howled – “its a teapot”
which is a standing joke in our family about how I can’t keep a secret
and then they just laughed till we all were
poor Digger sure was sorry
but it was the laugh of the century for all of us
I do miss him
