Today is Mike Anderson’s birthday and marks the start of “Birthday week” for him and his youngest daughter, Hanna. Her birthday is two days after Mike’s, on October 28.
Here’s a happy blast-from-the-past memory:
Since Mike lived a ferry commute away in Poulsbo, and his daughters and I lived in north Seattle, there was always a lot of “scurrying around,” coordinating our schedules to get Mike’s daughters to him this special week.
On Oct 26, they celebrated his birthday.
On Oct 28, they celebrated Hanna’s birthday.
On Oct 31, they went trick-or-treating together.
It was Mike’s tradition to buy Halloween costumes for his two daughters.
Years later in 2014 after he died, what a huge surprise it was to find that he saved every one of those costumes, put them on hangers, and wrapped each of them neatly in individual clear vinyl suit bags. Maybe he had help hanging them. Dunno. But point is, he saved them. And we’ll be posting a picture of them here within the next few days.
You guys may know Mike as “Coach” or “Mr. Anderson,” but his family knew him as one giant teddy bear of a sentimental dad. Wow. What guy saves every one of his daughters’ costumes from baby through middle school?
Here’s wishing you a happy birthday in heaven, Mike, teddy bear of a dad!
