First, I got choked up over the video from the close-out crew, now I’m actually a little moist-eyed over this:

That’s a composite photo of a guy named Chris Bray and his father attending the first and last shuttle launches, three decades apart. Or, as he called it, “The picture we waited 30 years to complete.” What an amazing honor it must’ve been for him to be present at not just one but two such historic events, to be able to say you bookended an era. And to be able to experience both events with your dad… well, I’m not too proud to admit that I envy this guy.

My father and I have never been what most people would consider close. We’ve had our moments, like those times I rode along with him when he was driving truck, and more recently in the mornings, when he’s gotten in the habit of dropping by my house with a cup of coffee before I leave for work, but for the most part, we’ve just never clicked in that Hallmark Channel kind of way. I don’t blame him for that. The culprit was more a matter of circumstance than anything. When I was a young schoolboy, he worked afternoon shifts from 2 to 11, so he rarely got to see me while I was awake. And later, when I started to grow up, we just seemed to lock horns over damn near everything. My mom’s theory is that our respective temperaments were too much alike, and we both wanted to be the alpha. Which I suppose is probably true.

But one thing we’ve always shared is an interest in the space program, especially the hardware. Back in the early days of the shuttle program, when the orbiters were landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Dad used to suggest we load up the camper and take a family road trip down there to see one. And then the primary landing site shifted to Florida, which made the logistics of attending a landing far more difficult, and we stopped talking about it so much. And now the program is just a heartbeat from being over, and it’s too late. We missed our chance, just never got around around to doing it, and I really wish we had. I suspect there are a lot of fathers and sons out there who could tell a similar story.

I wonder if Chris Bray appreciates what he and his dad managed to pull off. For his sake, I hope he does.

Via.