STORY: My Dad passed away during the summer between my Junior and Senior years of High School. I was attending a Catholic HS and it cost money. Thank heaven for the financial department at the school, as I was able to work at the school and the middle schoold down the road to pay for my tuition. I did some filing at my HS and worked as a librarian at the middle school....that was interesting.
Back to Dad. He had his own business ever since I can remember. Dad owned a craft, hobby and coin store and worked a LOT of hours to make ends meet. There were 6 of us kids and a wife who had a major stroke and needed lots of help with daily tasks. What a stressful time that had to be for Dad. I think back now and want to give him a big HUG for all that he did for us.
Dad always made things FUN! Some of us kids would be sitting in the living room watching TV, when Dad came home from work. All of a sudden tons (so it seemed at the time) of coins went flying across the room. We all scrambled to gather as much as we could. What crazy fun. Dad must have taken all the change from the register to do this, what fun.. It is these memories that we hold onto as we look back over the years. Of courseI spent all that change on Penny Candy and a bottle of Coke!
I chat with my 2 sisters and we talk about the crazy things Dad did. In the summer, he would pile all the neighborhood kids in his station wagon and take us all for ice cream. Today you could not do that because of the seat belt laws....but oh what a good time we had. Forth of July, Dad always had a neighborhood cook out and a fireworks show for all of us at night.
I remember sitting out in the lawn chairs on a hot summer night, just Dad and me and the stars. It really was special. I cannot see the stars at all now, due to my vision loss, but the memory is so sweet.
We also sat on the front porch and I would make Dad and me tea and toast with peanut butter...Mmmmm. I still have tea nad peanut butter toast for breakfast now.
It was not all good memories, but I choose to focus on the good ones for Father's Day. As I was watching American Idol one night, Trace Atkins sang "You're Gonna Miss This" and I was touched by it. There are so many things we miss when we are always looking to the future, to better things, to WHEN this and WHEN that happens. Slow down, enjoy yourself and the people around you. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. Life is in the little meories we make today! Make some NOW!
FAITH: The wind causes damage beyond belief sometimes. It is a powerful force. You cannot see the wind, but you see it's effects on the world. God is like that. Even if you do not believe, He is still there, working through people and nature. The old Sunday School song comes to mind here. "You ask me how I know He lives...He lives within my heart".
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Photo is Dad in the far back and neighborhood kids helping him sand down an old boat out front of the house. Always a project going on!
Love you and miss you Dad! Passed August 21, 1971
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