Sunday, June 19, 2005

Now Fathers Day

And of course I am thinking of my dear Dad. Here is a favorite picture of him, actually taken on Mothers Day while he and I went walking in the woods behind their house.

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We are very close, my Dad and me. I don't remember a time, even if we were having a disagreement or a fight, that I didn't KNOW without a doubt that my Dad loves me. In my eyes, he is wise and wonderful. Of course he has his faults and makes mistakes, as do I, but that he loves me and I love him is without question. The fact that he loves me even when I am making mistakes...I have always thought that it is easy for me to understand God's love for me, because of the love and care of my Dad. Have you ever noticed how people that have poor or distant relationships with their earthly father have a difficult time realizing the love their Heavenly Father has for them? Well, that is just my thought.

This is another picture, taken that day we went for a walk, of the land that means so much to my Dad. This is one arm of the creek that runs through the property

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And here is a Jack In The Pulpit, growing nearby. They grow all over in the woods there

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Finally, I think of both my Grandpa Sam - he is my step-grandpa, but as dear to me as any Grandpa can be and I love him greatly and my Grandpa (my dad's father). I miss him. Today, June 19th, would have also been his and Grandma's wedding anniversary. He could tell the funniest stories, he hid candy to give to us kids, he could hunt and fish (I love to eat bluegills thanks to him!), he farmed and loved sports and my Grandma. Recently, I was reading some thoughts that Grandpa had put on paper, about his children and our family. I thought I would share them here to close. This was written in 1944, during World War II. He writes:

"My children are equally dear to me, but if you ever raise a family...you'll find that each child calls for a little different treatment. Or I think they do....I hate carelessness worse than poison and/or laziness...I am not mean but I want every one dear to me to get ahead and be somebody. I don't mean rich, I mean respected and I want to tell you that my family is respected as being honest and good workers.

Our family is very close to each other yet we have very volatile tempers and are pretty high strung so occasionally the lid blows off but it doesn't last long and they are very loyal. If they like you, okay, if not don't try to live near us - ha! We hate just as hard as we love, maybe harder. Now...my idea of Utopia is for all of my kids to live close to me and all work for each other. In this world we do not all have the best of luck and so I want everyone to help the other and it really pays to work together, in farming anyway..."


Wise and loving words from a dear man. There is more, but that would be sharing something private...yet, I thought these two paragraphs showed a little insight into the family I grew up in. Lucky me!