This is a photo of me as my mom and dad brought me home from the hospital. August 8, 1976.Today my dad would be 65. Officially retired, although as hard as he worked at the coal mine, I hope he would have taken an earlier out! I remember so many details about my dad, even though he was taken from us when I was eight. I remember how he smelled, his beard in the winter, that he drank diet rite (in the early 80s when it wasn't cool), loved the bologna with the red ring on it, his brown pleather chair, he loved the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Loogootee Lions, he loved to put up hay the old fashioned way and even taught me how to steer the truck in the field, coaching my brothers at baseball, those tight baseball shorts with the belt, beech-nut green (not red), trips to Grandma Walkers, Jello cheesecake, he loved my mama, loved his kids, and attended either St. Johns or St. Martins faithfully with family in tow. Writing this post reminds me that I think I did this last year too. I love to remember my dad.
It has been fun to work back in my hometown. People either know me or figure out who I am before they leave with their medicine... A friendly customer made my day at the end of the evening Friday. She said, I graduated high school with your dad. He was a fine man, a funny man (as she chuckled to herself). He made us laugh and was always so kind. I loved hearing her words. I told her that his birthday would have been Sunday and she said yes, we are 65 this year. Lucky for your dad though, he got to retire early...
She is so right. He did get to retire early, and even though I wish he had been here on Earth as I grew up...how lucky for him that he was in a better place all this time.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:6
Happy Birthday to Uncle John, and the twins Aunt Peggy and Polly - July 25. These are some of my dad's siblings who also help keep his memory alive. Wow, my grandma was busy around halloween time...
