December tenth. Wow. My dad died 14 years ago, exactly half my life ago. I find that so remarkable that someone that I consider a very influential person in my life to not be in my life. So, today I feel like sharing some of my memories of my dad.
I was a daddy's girl. I loved when he came home from work. We had a squeaky step coming in from the garage and I could hear it anywhere in the house and would come running to welcome him home. I think I sat on my dad's knee to watch tv till I was too heavy and then moved to the arm of his bulky chair.
I loved going to the grocery store with him. He'd buy an Almond Joy and split it with me as a special treat.
He was my best study partner. I always learned my spelling words faster when he helped me and would go to him to prepare for a test. I really missed that. I remember when I was learning how to read I really tested his patience. "You just read that word." What's the word "was" doing being spelt that way anyway? wuz? He stuck with it.
He loved games. Some dad's wrestle with their kids, my dad played games with his. Loved gin rummy and cribbage. When we had the missionaries over for dinner they'd stay for awhile after eating and my dad would start these silly thinking games: "are the scissors crossed or uncrossed", "Cahoots", (you'd have to figure out the trick.) It was very fun for us kids. He knew how to laugh and had happy eyes.
I love that he was close to the spirit. I am grateful for the times I choice wrong he chose to use them as teaching moments and not punish me. One, that I'll share, was when I was in seventh grade. I skipped second period with some friends. We were good kids, but thought it would be cool. So we hide in the neighborhood behind the school and did our math homework. We had our books and what else were we going to do? So we got caught, and spent the rest of the day in in school suspension for the rest of the day. I missed the bus and walked to my dad's clinic down the road and my dad sat down with me when there was a break between patients and asks something like what happened and then listened and then gave me council that has always stuck with me.
I loved that my dad was a chiropractor. I could always go to him. I'd have a headache or my back hurt or what ever, and he'd always make it better.
I think he really liked working on things. He'd make fun little things like a cat-a-pult, a blow dart gun, a boomerang, a skateboard made from old skates. My first bike was made from parts of many bikes. It was ugly, but I loved it.
It is amazing how fast time goes and time heals. Fourteen years is a long time, but it's gone by fast........It is fun to remember.
8 comments:
This is a wonderful tribute to dad. It brought back some similar, but unique memories of my own. It's clear from this anecdote that he made each us feel special.
Is that you as a baby in the first photo? I experienced pure joy and surprise seeing our dad young and with a baby. Thank you for sharing! xoxo, Patricia
Thanks for sharing Wendy. It's nice to get a glimpse into the life of the man who helped shape the person I love so much. :).
That's a very cute picture of you and your dad. You really look like him. I'm glad that you are able to enjoy your memories of your Dad. I can think of a lot of things you could have done besides math homework!!! It is fun to hear about your Dad.
It's nice to hear memories of dad, since I didn't get as much time to get to know him, but I do enjoy getting to know him through others. There is one thing that I remember though, and that is going to the store with dad and splitting an almond joy. Whenever he would go to the store he would want to take just one of us, and that was are special time with dad. Though I don't have many memories of dad, thinking back I still consider myself a daddy's girl It is a surprise at how fast the time has gone and how much growth we all have made. Thanks for sharing some of your memories with me.-Kristi
p.s. Derek enjoyed the story to ditch school to do math homework.
What a sweet post about your dad. I remember going to your house and how great your whole family was--especially how fun your dad was. I loved seeing the pictures of you two and remembering what you looked like when we were good buddies. I'm so glad you were a Daddy's girl and have such great memories. What a special bond!
I haven't ever heard you talk about your dad. I loved reading this. You look so much like him. Plus you look good in the last picture!
That was a great post, Wendy! I can't imagine how hard that must have been on you to lose your dad at such a young age...especially now that I've lost my own dad! I still remember what a shock it was when I found out.
Anyway, those pictures are great!
Thanks for sharing your tender thoughts. It is very amazing to realize how much our loved ones shape our lives, and then how much their passing on shapes us even more. The time really has passed so fast, thank goodness for our memories. I am always grateful for the gospel knowledge which makes those seemingly terrible times of our life able to pass, with instead a bright hope before us.
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