Letters to the Editor | Week of June 17-22, 2024

Ode to father

Fatherhood is the background music of marriage and of parenting. A constancy that normalizes and stabilizes the chaos and disorder of comingled lives, and of notions and emotions. Fatherhood transforms the singularity of existence into the commonality of life and of living.

Father’s Day for many of us has always been a day of reflection, deflection and subdued affection. A day devoid of flowery prose, embellished gestures or elaborate adulation. Father’s Day is a subtle recognition of a man’s genius of underplaying and understating the significance of their camouflaged pride, joy and affection, that spills over into the hearts and souls of those who complete him, fulfill him, respect him.

Unlike Mother’s Day — filled with sentimentality, hugs and kisses — Father’s Day is more reserved and impassive —- in a manly way. That was true for my Dad. Father’s day was that special day that dignified the man who gave clarity and substance to the symphony of music that was our family. Each member of the family, a master of perfection. Wife. Sons. Daughters. Grandchildren. Great-Grandchildren. Each a separate and distinct note, playing in harmony and tempo to the rhythm of the music. Each note distinct in its sound and tone, when orchestrated by the Maestro — that marvel, that wonder, that man who stood alone and made the notes come together in a sympathy of purpose, of reason, of understanding and acceptance — my Dad.

Like elevator music — always in the background, always around — soothing, comforting, gentle. The Muzak of family. The master of the art of blending and merging into the background — but always the Maestro. Always the artistic genius behind the composition of a symphony of family, of music, affection and passion.

To Dad, and to all fathers and maestros out there on this Father’s Day, please excuse the flowery prose this year, as well as the forgotten tie — and accept instead these words of appreciation, recognition and remembrance — for making the sound of music come alive in my family, and in families throughout this Magical Valley by the Rio Grande. Families of every kind and every type. You, Dad, helped set the tempo of my life. You are, you were, that constancy — that music that never stops. And I am still that music in the background that is the sympathy of you.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

Al Garcia-Wiltse

San Juan

Didn’t make school board

I again failed to get on the McAllen ISD school board. I feel bad for the teachers and support personnel of our public schools because I would have lobbied and filibustered and whined until you got more respect.

I look at the list of rejected applicants for Place 7 and I am stunned by the talent and experience the people of the city won’t be getting.

To the teachers who are leaving, consider yourselves better off. The teachers of MISD have always been its top strength; look what their efforts got them.

Politics is not my thing; my religion tells me to reject it, and normally I do. But I am offended by what I think had transpired here. Do I have facts? Nope, but I’ve been here like 30 years. I know what goes down.

I don’t know what was done to Sam Saldivar, but I can guess. I am going to pray that God finds jobs for the dumped staff and offers balm to the staff who remain and will have to put up with the additional work.

The teachers and support staff and some administrators I knew were wonderful folks to be with; I miss you all and I regret that I couldn’t do more for you. I am 74 now, and I anticipate seeing you again on the other side.

Don Delaney

McAllen

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