Happy Birthday To My Dad

As mentioned in my last post, the month of May is quite busy with a flurry of activity. We celebrate graduations, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and look forward to the ending of the school year. Another very important celebration is my dad's birthday on May 3rd. It was a special day that fell on Sunday, and as is the usual custom, we were able to have lunch with him after the Sunday services at church. He turned 83 this year. I think for all he has been through the last six or seven years, he is blessed from above and manages quite well. I admire his "can do attitude" and his determination to keep going no matter what. He is still gardening on a smaller scale, riding the lawn mower, and rarely misses a church service.

Now one might speculate that I'm running a bit behind to just now be posting his birthday on my blog, but I was looking for a special picture that I wanted to use, and I had to find it and get it scanned. It has always been very special to me for some reason and I carried it in my wallet for years. I took it out some time ago and I had to find it. It was in a special photo album right where I had placed it for memory's sake and safe keeping. Don't you love it when you hide things from yourself?

At any rate, I was six in the first picture and I think we were on our way to church because Dad is all dressed up in his suit and tie. That was definitely Sunday attire for him. Dad was and still is the spiritual leader at home. There was never any question where we would be on Sundays or what we would be doing. We went to church no matter what without fail. It was our habit; it was as natural as knowing you were going to work or school on Monday morning. Before I learned to read, we would get up early on Sunday morning and he would read my Sunday school lesson to me before we left the house. He also told me to get a drink of water and go to the bathroom because facilities weren't available like they are today.

I have other fond memories. My mom had to work on Saturday mornings so Dad got to look after me. We went to all sorts of great places; the barber shop, Watkin's Part Store, and the gas station to change the oil in car just to name a few. But best of all, I looked forward to grape soda and peanuts, because without fail, he knew they were my favorite things and he would get this wonderful treat for me. I would crawl up on a high stool, sit, eat, and drink. It somehow softened the boredom of hearing men talk about cars and relieved the scary stress of the barber always asking me if I would like to get up in his chair for a haircut. Poor dad--he always wanted a baseball team and all he got was one little girl.

There was one redeeming quality. I loved to be outside and mow the yard. I started doing that when I was about 8 or 9. When I was about 11 or 12, he bought a small riding lawn mower just for me. Boy, did I ever feel like I was in tall cotton when I didn't have to push any more.

The second picture was made last year in New Orleans when Micah and Rhyne graduated from seminary. We had been touring the WWII museum. I've grown a little taller and Dad has grown a little older, but one or two things haven't changed. To this very day, I still love grape soda and peanuts, and I love my dad.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Marcia