Charlie Arnold's Birthday

Today is my dad’s birthday. Charles Leroy Arnold was born on October 28, 1919. He passed away on December 9, 2009, at 90 years old. I could never forget his big personality and the love he added to this world. Today, I am choosing to remember him through a series (possibly a big series) of my favorite pictures of him.

This first picture has young Charles before his first haircut, looking dapper in his blonde curls. Wait - I take that back. Someone cut those bangs, for sure, but left the curls alone. When I was little, I used to say, “This is my dad when he was a little girl.” He enjoyed the laugh that comment brought.

Dad is showing off his winter gear In this picture. It reminds me of how far fashion for toddlers has come and makes me grateful that he didn’t get severe frostbite.

Why wouldn’t you love this picture? My dad and his brothers look amazing here. I’m glad to have this image to remember them all as young men, ready to take on the world. They're all gone now, but wow, what a moment this was!

I love pictures of my mom and dad, young and in love. The top one here is just a candid moment. I’m not sure why the photographer snapped the picture, back in the days of film and posed photography, but I’m really glad he/she did. I like the care Mom is giving to Dad’s appearance and the sheepish way he is accepting of that care. The bottom shot was taken on their wedding day. They planned that wedding in 4 days. I’m sure their heads were spinning, but in this picture they just look like a couple of giddy, in-love kids. That sparkle they show in this picture was something they always kept.

Ah, this picture of my mom and dad, completely in love with their first born, always takes my breath away. Again, I give credit to the photographer who captured this magic. Charlie, Audrey, and little Stevie were quite a precious family.

Their family didn’t stay small for long. They had four boys under three years old before they knew it. Those had to be hard years, but also they were filled with much love and joy. This image, to me, captures that joy. It is chaos. My dad’s legs under that pile of humans – that just makes me smile!

A fifth boy was added and a lot more joy and chaos occurred well before I came along. This is a favorite picture of mine of the Arnold boys with Mom and Dad. It was likely a challenge to get those five all corralled for a picture. The boys, like their dad, would have preferred to be horseback riding or tromping through the woods. This setting, the farm that dad’s parents owned, will always remind me of my dad.

All of these memories of my dad were courtesy of someone else. I am grateful for all the years of pictures and all the sharing of stories that gave me an image of who he was before I met him. He lived nearly 40 of his 90 years without me. Now for some favorite memories that are my own!

One of my favorite pictures of my dad and I when I was young is this pic of the two of us. I think we were pretending to sleep in his La-Z-Boy recliner, but I guess it could have been real. I squeezed into that chair next to my daddy as long as I could, eating ice cream with him and snoozing with him. I loved being his little girl. 

Our family has loved our vacation time in northern Minnesota forever (well, over 70 years). There are so many pictures of us all enjoying that time together. This one is nothing special, which makes it special to me. It’s just family gathered together, enjoying each other. I love it. That’s what my dad was all about – enjoying the little moments in life.

Riding horses with Charlie Arnold is a memory many people have. Horses were his passion. I loved that time we had together on trail rides or simply riding along fields near town, just the two of us.

My dad loved being a grandpa. I was only 12 when his first grandchild was born, which would have made him 52. He really got a kick out of any time he could spend with his grandchildren. This image of him reading a book to Allyssa is a favorite of mine, because reading books wasn’t really his thing. That was more my mom’s deal. Still, for those grandchildren of his he would step out of his comfort zone time and time again.

I grew up. I got married. I had my own kids. By the time my kids came around, Mom and Dad were experienced grandparents. Dad was 68 when our firstborn entered this world. He played along any time I asked for silliness, as you can see in this picture. There was no visible reluctance to any manner of fun with the kids.

There are so many more pictures I could post, and so many more memories. The one thing that remained steadfast in my dad’s life was his devotion to my mom. It was always evident, always present, always a priority. Mom and Dad weren’t showy with their love, but it was fierce. I took this picture of the two of them about two months before my mom passed away. It is a treasure.

With Mom gone, Dad’s heart was broken. He grieved deeply, but he refused to stop living. As his mobility decreased, he started relying on his Gator to take him close to places, so he could get in on his own. He became known as the “Gator Guy” in his small town, and one restaurant that he frequented even added a “Gator Parking” spot just for him, right next to the door! Nothing pleased him more than toting his grandchildren around in that Gator, and great grandchildren as well when they came along.

And here are just a few more pictures of my dad’s smile and his sparkle. He was known for his laughter (like in that picture with Bim and Al), his pinches (OUCH!), and his teasing (note that he is tugging David's tie in the bottom picture), but he also loved it when someone sneaked something in on him, like that kiss from Erin on her wedding day. Whether it was laughing or crying (mostly laughing), he was always present with his family. I am so thankful for my dad and the scores of memories that come flooding back to me from all the wonderful times that we had together. 

Happy birthday in heaven, Dad. I miss you.