…..Ralph Waldo Emerson. I was raised by a man of the earth. A farmer. The second father I ever had was a man of the heavens. An Astronomer. He was the only father-in-law I have ever had. He scared me at first. There was this calm quiet about him and when he did speak, I paid attention. Then I got to know him. There was no fear then – only that calm quiet, interrupted by puns, whiskey, weaving, chocolate, and puzzles. Both he and my mother-in-law kept their house open to all that needed a place to be or more likely a loving family to be with. The wonderful thing about the Klinglesmith family, is once your in – they never let you leave and that’s just how you want it to be.
I wasn’t their first stray. I was preceeded by many others and I was followed by many more. They never locked the door. They never turned away a friend. There was always room at the dinner table for one more. Although, for some reason, I ate slower than the rest of the Klinglesmiths, so I was always still at the table as they cleared everything away from around me. I guess I never had to grow up in a house full of siblings, where first come, first serve was the rule.
Now Dan Klinglesmith III has left us. Joined the universe that he observed his whole life. But he left behind so many lessons learned. I learned to say thank you when I was handed a knife – so that the giver knew you had a hold of it before he would let go. I learned that a practical joke can become a family tradition – like hanging a christmas tree upside down from the ceiling. I discovered that there are many things that a hankercheif can assist with, other than the obvious. I found out that when your daughter comes home from Belize, you can make her feel at home by pitching a tent in the living room for her. While eating dinner, you can be waited on as if in a fancy restaurant, if you simply say “while your up” every time someone stands. I have a whole new understanding of girl scout cookies since visiting the Klinglesmith distrubution center. I now know that puns can take on a life of their own, and they never get old. I learned that correct spelling is optional. He taught me how to pick my fights and he taught me that there wasn’t much in life that warranted a fight. I studied him at his loom and learned that great beauty can only be created with patience.
Before he left us, Dan made sure that his family was tightly woven together, full of love and laughter. He made sure that we were firmly planted on Earth so that we could gaze at the stars for him. Now its up to us to continue the puns and hang the tree upside down. Maybe with some chocolate and whiskey at the ready.
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