D. C. Donahue Books

Be thankful, grateful, Patient, Charitable, Kind and don’t forget to smile as it is infectious

Over my almost 70 years, there have been a few memorable gifts at different stages of life and for different reasons.

In 1958, everything Popeye-related was a hero of mine. In 1959, I received my first tricycle, and in 1963, I got my first two-wheeler. Each of these milestone gifts felt as exciting as a teenager getting their driver’s permit, marking new possibilities for expanding my world and exploring.

Other high-water mark gifts over the years included a scooter and a pair of roller skates in Christmas 1962. Then, in 1965, I got my first record player, which in our generation was a pretty big deal. In 1973, just before Christmas, my brother Joe, working at New Car Carriers, got a deal on a 1969 Oldsmobile 98, a fully decked-out tank of a car with a 450 Rocket Engine for $500.

Over the years, my wife has given me many significant gifts: a nice watch, leather jackets including a black one, and later, when that jacket wore out, a brown bomber jacket that I refuse to get rid of. She even got me a tuxedo during a time when we were attending 2-3 formal events for work.

Despite all the thoughtful gifts I have received over the years, the greatest gifts have been my wife’s acceptance of my hand in marriage and our four children, all of whom we’re very proud of as they are now middle-aged adults. Interestingly, my youngest daughter was born on my birthday in 1980. What makes this special is that both of our birthdays fall on Leap Day in a Leap Year. However, we both arrived four days early, and we were delivered by the same doctor. I can’t even begin to guess the odds of that happening!

In about two weeks, I will turn 70, and our daughter Kathleen, also known as Katie, will turn… well, let’s just say she was born in 1980. Thank you, Nancy and Dr. Maguire, for giving me my best gift ever!