My Father In-Law

I am compelled to mention how aware I am of the difficulty in writing about loved ones past, especially when it's your father in-law. With that same honesty I have to share what little I know, though I do see him a little every day.

Early on in the apartment renovation, Søren had shown me black and white photos of his family, grandparents, and his father through many decades. I recall wavy hair and manicured moustache, broad shoulders and a benevolent smirk. WHAT a movie star he is. The stories and photos shared describe him with a twinkle in the eyes, primarily because the lights are on.

Niels Christian Johansen 1926 - 1991
Born 5 of August (The day Søren proposed to me)

N.C. worked for ØK, or East Asiatic Company as Chief Engineer on many ships, the largest being Malacca and Morelia, 20,400 horsepower, 213 meters long. He has been to, um... every port on the map apparently, so let's not waste space and span (attention!) on geography lessons (see: Denmark, A bit About).

Because of his fathers work, Søren has many nostalgic memories of the sounds of pistons and smell of engine oil. As a small child growing up on these enormous vessels, Søren was penned in on a deck or area, though more often it was to keep him from falling overboard as opposed to down a flight of stairs, and as a result, much like his predecessors, he loves sailing, being near water and has a great love of nature.

Those with an curiosity for history will be interested to know that Charles Johansen (born 1898) sailed a cargo ship during WWII and partook in smuggling Jews out of Denmark into Sweden. In his late teens, Niels Christian worked for the resistance during the German occupation of Denmark. Both he (in his adult years) and his Father were Chief Engineers by profession.

How cool is that? The men in this family are real gentlemen and have a strong sense of right. I see how Søren is with me and I know the lessons he learned from his parents stem from those principals. Gentle, patient, forgiving, diplomatic in vocabulary, broad viewed, open minded, protection of the weak and the list goes on... The sort of fellas you would invite to your round table.

When the time comes for children, Søren and I both wish that our first boy will bear his fathers name. In spirit he remains a part of our past, our present and with luck, our future.

Hugs and Love

xoxoxoxoxox