Meet my dad, Kenneth Kohlhoff. He was born on July 27, 1952, and passed away on December 17, 2020, from complications from preexisting medical conditions while hospitalized. Because this was during the pandemic, we only got to see him at the beginning of his hospital stay, and then again one other time when he was expected not to make it.
Throughout his life, Dad loved people in need. He was always ready with a joke, smile, or sympathetic ear. He’d drive an untold number of miles just to be with someone if they asked for his company. And he was passionate about those who were hungry or sick. We were always feeding neighbors and friends and attending get togethers with people because we didn’t always have relatives nearby.
What we are celebrating
Dad’s untimely death was a heavy blow to our family and friends, who had always thought of him as an invincible force always looking out for everyone and everything he held dear. Robbed of our ability to comfort him when he needed us most was just as challenging as having to live through the void of him no longer being with us.
For birthdays and holidays, Dad loved to give gifts – especially to all the kids we knew. It’s no wonder, then, that between he and my mom, I ended up with a heart for gifting Barbie dolls to girls in need. With that in mind, I have my mom to thank for the challenge she posed to me when asking if we could incorporate Dad into The Barbie Girls Project. After all, his name was Ken, just like Barbie’s better half. It was an inside joke that never grew old! Dad loved being spoiled rotten, and so on his first heavenly birthday, we did acts of kindness in his name and posted about it on social media with the hashtags #kensdayofgiving and #thebarbiegirlsproject, encouraging others to do the same to help us honor him and their own lost loved ones.
Last year, just days before Dad’s 70th birthday, I tripped walking the dog and broke my ankle. On July 27th itself, instead of celebrating our 2nd annual Ken’s Day of Giving, I was having a medical procedure done and then I was off my feet for a while.
But this year we are making up for it! To celebrate our 3rd annual Ken’s Day of Giving, we will be honoring Dad by giving out free Barbie and Ken dolls on July 27th from 3-5 pm at a surprise location we’ll be revealing next week!
As always, don’t forget to share your random acts of kindness on behalf of Dad or someone you’ve loved and lost since the pandemic by posting about it with the hashtags #kensdayofgiving and #thebarbiegirlsproject.
However you choose to participate, we thank you in advance for helping us honor Dad’s legacy. We look forward to flooding social media with all the joy we’ll be spreading for Ken’s Day of Giving!
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.