With Father’s Day coming, my thoughts have turned to my own
father, who was a strong father figure to me.
I looked to him for leadership and guidance in my life.
He worked hard even when he wasn’t feeling
well.
(For many years, Dad suffered from
malaria which he picked up while serving during World War II.)
Dad was observant and sensitive.
He loved people and put their needs before
his own.
He taught his children to show
respect for others, especially our own mother.
He taught me that joking about others was hurtful, because there was
always a little truth in the joke to make it funny.
I have many good memories of him.
Dad loved art.
His
father and oldest brother were artists who painted with oil.
Another brother was a sculptor.
When
I was in elementary school, dad took up woodworking – carving, inlay and
overlay.
He was very good at it.
Later in his life, Dad also started oil
painting.
Always willing to share his talents, Dad came to my elementary school several times to share his love of
woodwork. The whole class made simple wood
overlay pictures (at Dad’s expense) that they could take home. I still have mine.
In his front shirt pocket, Dad carried a checkbook, paper and pen. As a grandpa,
whenever the grandkids came over, he would hold them on his lap and they
would take everything out of his pocket and draw on it. This gave him great pleasure! He loved his grandchildren and would play
with them for hours. If he could, I’m
sure he would make the rounds to visit his great grandchildren and play
with them.
One time while playing with my children,
Dad made up a song about Mr. Potato Head:
“I’m Mr. Potato Head. My life is
full of dread. My ears are on backwards,
my nose upside down. In place of a
smile, I’m wearing a frown. I’m Mr.
Potato Head.”
Dad was creative and his heart was full of love!
This leads me to another man in my life, whose heart is as
big as the great outdoors...my husband and father of our beautiful children. His concern
is almost always to help others be happy.
From Van, I have learned about perseverance, making the best of current circumstances, learning to
relax in stressful situations, and overcoming
challenges. Our life together has not been
easy, but Van always keeps pushing along in spite of the weight he carries
(and sometimes the load is pretty heavy). My heart is full of gratitude for all he endures.
