Job was not a brilliant man. He swept floors for a living. He believed that Tarzan was a real man, and that all those movies were documentaries of Tarzan's life. He was the butt of many jokes, yet he taught me about the essence of a 'real man': love and respect for women, honor, kindness, and gentleness.
Job embraced life in unexpected, simple ways. He showed up for work on time. He never bragged about himself, and he loved only one woman—his wife, Molly. Job filled a void in my life. He was principled and straightforward in my world of dishonor and lies. He loved me as his very own grandchild, even though he was a year younger than my father.
I will never forget my high school graduation. That was a day of hopeless inevitability for me. My father, a heavy drinker, began his celebration very early. By the time we congregated in the high school gymnasium, he had congratulated himself through nearly a case of beer.
I tried to be invisible within a sea of faces. I wanted to run away. Disappear. Most of all, I wanted no one to guess whose kid I was. I was betrayed by my last name, which began with 'A,' so I was the first graduate in the first row. Being a red-head gave me even more exposure, and the baccalaureate speaker, who had never met me, decided to use me as his audio-visual aid.
'This young lady, this bright young lady, with the bright red hair,' his voice rolled through the auditorium in sonorous phrases, as I sank lower in my seat. To my left, at the door, was a seating area for the 'elderly.' There sat Molly, age 61, and Job, age 47, among all the grandparents. My heart ached when I looked at them, wishing with all my heart that I were, truly, their grandchild.
As the speaker continued, he reached a point where he had an uncontrollable urge to introduce 'all the wonderful people who have made this day possible!'
'All the siblings of the graduates, please, stand.' I slipped lower in my seat, glancing hurriedly around, hoping to remain invisible.
'Now, all the parents, please stand.' Dear Lord, I thought, I'm sure my father can't stand, even if he wanted to. I didn't bother to look around.
'Now the grandparents...' I closed my eyes, dreading the hopelessness of my situation. I had no grandparent to stand proudly for me. I finally opened my eyes, and there they were, Job and Molly, standing proudly with all the other grandparents. Job looked over at me, his eyes beaming like diamonds.
'I'm so proud of you,' he smiled as he mouthed the words that I will never forget. I knew that he stood there, not out of duty, but because of his love for me!