My last Father’s Day with my daddy was when I was thirteen years old. He died later that year, about six weeks after my fourteenth birthday.
My daddy was a soft spoken man and he was the smartest man I had ever known even though he only had an eighth grade education. He was a hard worker, a good husband and the best father a girl could ever hope for. I was a Daddy’s girl.
Daddy loved to fish. He loved his boat so much and on some Sunday afternoons he would pull the boat out of the boat shed and just sit in it. I imagine he was thinking about the big one that got away or was making plans for his next fishing trip to Santee Cooper. He was a good fisherman and everything that I know about fishing, I learned from him.
Daddy, with only an eighth grade education, taught his Sunday School class. In a class filled with educated men, he was the teacher. He tried to get someone else to teach the class after a couple of years but no one wanted to follow him. I remember some of them telling me when he died that he was the best teacher they had ever had. He would begin preparing for the next Sunday’s lesson as soon as we got home from church each Sunday. It seemed like we were at church all the time; twice on Sunday and then every Wednesday evening. If the doors were unlocked, we were there and we were always early. Daddy refused to be late for church.
Daddy was a good man, a respected man, and he and Mama raised four children, two sons and two daughters. My sister was sixteen when I was born so, yes, he spoiled me probably more than he would have if I had been born much earlier. In my eyes, he could do no wrong.
He was a great papa to his grandchildren. In his eyes they could do no wrong. He was proud of every one of them. I can only imagine how proud he would be now.
Rob and I were high school sweethearts. He dated all of my best friends before he dated me. He told me that he saved the best for last. I told him that there was no one left.
I never imagined that there would be anyone else who would be as good, as sweet and as good of a man and a father as my daddy was. I was wrong. I married that man forty-eight years ago and I know that Daddy would have loved him. His only shortcoming would have been his lack of knowledge about fishing. Rob grew up with a golf club in his hand and I grew up with a fishing pole in mine. I had to teach Rob how to bait a hook and how to fish. He still hasn’t take a fish off of the hook, though…
Rob is a wonderful husband. He is an even better father and papa. He loves his children and his grandsons. He is so very proud of his family. He is kind, sometimes to a fault; he would do anything for anyone. He is so patient. He has always refused to say something in haste because he never wants to say anything that he will regret later. I have always admired that but admit that having a one sided argument is non-productive.🙂
And then there is our son. We have always referred to him as a “free spirit” who would have been a good hippie. He takes most everything in stride. He, like his dad, is patient and kind. He is a “no worries” guy who tries to find the best in everyone. His smile lights up the room and he makes everyone feel special. He has that gift.
Our son is a hard worker who loves his wife and his two sons. Watching him with our grandsons makes us so proud. He is a “hands-on” dad and he learned that from his dad. His sense of humor keeps life interesting and he tries to always find something positive in every situation.
He is very thoughtful and mindful of others. Like his dad, he thinks before he speaks. Like his dad, he has earned the respect of those around him.
My daddy, my husband and our son are wonderful examples of how a father should be. I am very fortunate to have had a great daddy. I am beyond blessed to have a husband and a son who are great fathers; I am just sad that they never had a chance to know my daddy. Robert, he would have loved you so much and would have been so proud of you..
On this Father’s Day, 2021, I hope that each of you will be able to see your fathers and tell them how much you love them. If that isn’t possible, call them and tell them. Don’t text them. If your fathers are no longer living, I hope that your memories of your dads are special and are filled with love.
“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.” Umberto Eco
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