Happy Terry Bourdier Day!

Terry Bourdier was my dad. He passed away two years ago. Sixty-nine years ago today, he was born. Twenty-some-odd years ago, thanks to him, so was the clothes-folding hat.

Sorting and folding the laundry was a family activity in our home from about as early as I can remember. On one such occasion, whether in a seemly attempt to liven up this mundane chore, or because he was simply being his risible self, my dad put a pair of underwear on his head, announced that it was his "clothes-folding hat," and invited the rest of us to don clothes-folding hats of our own.

As anyone who knows me will attest, I tend to come off as a rather serious person. This distinctive character trait of mine was, if anything, even truer of me as a child. This being the case, to no one’s great surprise, I was the only family member who chose not to participate in the wearing of the clothes-folding hats.

Emma and Cate honor their "Pappy" by wearing clothes-folding hats.

But I couldn’t let it go at that. Why it mattered to me at the time, I couldn’t tell you now, but apparently I was so offended at the clothes-folding hats that I felt I had to speak out. I don’t remember what exactly I said, but the consensus of those present is that it was something like this: "I refuse to fold another garment until everyone takes that ridiculous underwear off their heads!"

Also not surprisingly, this little outburst of mine was at least as entertaining to my family as was my dad’s goofy idea that had inspired it in the first place.

Years later, something made me think of that incident. I asked my dad if he remembered it. He certainly did, and in fact, it was one of his favorite stories to tell. I have to admit it has become one of mine as well.

So this year on his birthday, since, sadly, my girls cannot know him, I thought it fitting to pay him tribute by passing down the clothes-folding hat legacy to the next generation. I think that "Pappy," as they would have known him, would approve. Happy birthday, Dad!