People make such a big deal over Mother’s Day, but Father’s
Day, not so much. I want to pay tribute to the dads that have been important in my life.
Of course, there is my dad. He was always my “safe spot”.
Even though I had a healthy fear of him (because I knew what a belt across my
behind felt like with him holding the strap!), I also knew that I could always
count on him to keep me safe. Since Momma was sick and in the hospital so much,
I spent quite a bit of time with Daddy “on the job”. He had to work two or
three jobs all the time to be able to pay the medical bills. So I would
sometimes accompany him to his second job at Montgomery Ward. He sold floor
coverings on the second floor, which was a LOT of fun. All of those displays of
rugs were good for sliding down or hiding between. Plus I would wander all over
the store. Back in those days they even had a pet department, which I always
loved. On game nights (be it football or basketball), I would go with him and
help him count the money taken in at the gate or concession stand afterwards. I
really enjoyed those times that I got to go to work with Daddy!
Of course, there was also my granddaddy (Momma’s dad). We
spent a great deal of our childhood at Granny and Granddaddy’s house.
Granddaddy wasn’t much of a talker, but he was solid, dependable, cheerful, and
always kind. He drove me crazy sometimes…especially early in the morning (when
I was trying to get in just a little more sleep), and he would come in
cheerfully telling us to rise and shine! (I was NOT a morning person!) He
worked hard as a carpenter…building the family home and working on jobs in the
community. He always had a great pile of scraps in his “workshop” in the
backyard that he let us grandkids use to build all sorts of things to play
with. Some of my earliest memories of him were when they would come see us in
Littlefield, or we would visit them, and he always gave me a silver dollar when
it was time to say goodbye. He was far from wealthy (monetarily speaking), but
he made sure to always have this bit of treasure for his grandkids. When he
wasn’t working outside, you could often find him in the kitchen helping Granny.
He could peel an apple in one piece…not breaking the skin. He also cracked and
shelled no telling how many pounds of pecans! He was a sensitive man WAY before
it was a “thing”. I will always remember on their 50th wedding
anniversary, walking into the kitchen where he was giving Granny a big kiss and
telling her how beautiful she was!
Of course, the “dad” that I’ve been with the longest is Dennis.
He was such an amazing dad to our three kids…especially when they were little. Even
though he worked long, hard hours, he always had time to play with them when he
came home. He would orchestrate “hunting adventures”, lying on the floor with
toy (or imaginary) rifles, waiting on imaginary deer or elk to appear in their
crosshairs. He took the kids fishing from the time they were in diapers, and on
real hunting trips while still in elementary school. Of course, they were
schooled in gun safety from the time they could hold a toy gun! I’ll always
remember the days when Stephen and Sheila were toddlers, when we would go visit
Dennis at work…delivering UPS packages at the Dallas Trade Mart. He would load
up his hand truck and then sit them on top of the boxes and take them for a
ride. It wasn’t uncommon for some of his customers to send home something
special for the kids to play with. I will also always remember all of those
times in church when one of our babies would get fussy. He would take them to
the back and walk around with them until they finally settled down and went to
sleep. He was such a natural with them!
I’ve enjoyed the last 5 years of watching my oldest,
Stephen, grow into fatherhood. He has matured from a scared young dad-to-be to
a seasoned dad of three. He fishes and camps with his boys and is utterly
wrapped around little Gracie’s finger. He works hard at his job, but he makes
sure he has plenty of time to spend with his family. I often see glimpses of
his dad come through as he interacts with his kiddos!
The newest “dad” in my life is Sheila’s husband, Matt. I was
impressed with him as a dad to his two boys, and have grown even more appreciative
of his skills as he has taken on the role with Nam. He is always patient (at
least when I’ve been around) and always takes care of their needs. He has
helped corral our exuberant and fiery little guy from the early days of his and
Sheila’s courtship. It often brings tears to my eyes to watch them interact
with each other. He has fulfilled Nam’s greatest desire…to have a dad.
So for these, and all of the many dad friends that I’ve
known along the way, I want to say “thank you” for all you do. You are all heroes
in my book!
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