Our Father, which art in heaven,hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,the power, and the glory,for ever and ever....Amen.
That's not the best recording but it's one of the nicest bunch of voices I've heard.......I hope you enjoyed it. There is nothing like a Welsh men's choir.
I want to wish all the fathers who read GeeeZ a very Happy Father's Day and, for all of you who've lost your dad's, like I have, I don't have to tell you to remember him. I hope you all have good memories like I do.
Mine was super smart and fabulously funny but had a terrible penchant for playing with words, which I told him was why I first moved out of the family home! If you were ironing, he said "you have a pressing problem?" If we were eating fish, we heard "...just for the 'halibut'" ... if Mom was making waffles, you'd have to hear "How WAFFLE!" How anybody that intelligent could find those funny is beyond me :-) But, I loved him for it and would give anything to hear him do another one! (and I use them myself, now, I have to admit!)
Do you have a DAD STORY you can share? Please do!
"For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just..." Genesis 18:19 Did he ever. Thanks, Dad. Love you.
Z
24 comments:
In all the years that I knew my father, he cursed only twice: (1) the day that he moved from his lifetime home of over 6 acres and (2) the one time he dropped the f-bomb when he was telling the story of how his new boss didn't know the first thing about working on brakes on D.C. Metro buses.
The above isn't really a story, but it does go to show the good character of my father.
Today's is Dad's 100th birthday. He passed away in January of 1998 after only a few days of being hospitalized. In fact, Dad was out doing his own grocer shoppping on Tuesday before having a respiratory crisis the next day. We should all be so lucky to live independently as my father did.
Dad outlived my mother by nearly 10 years, thus giving me the opportunity to know him even better.
BTW, Dad attributed his healthy, long life with no nursing-home confinement to never having violated the Lord's Day. No matter if the alfalfa had been cut on Saturday and rain was forecast on Sunday, Dad refused to allow the balers to come in on a Lord's Day. And he never lost a crop of alfalfa, either.
Oh, here's a story....
Back when I was in third grade, I was called upon to make a sentence using the work "economical."
I said: "My Daddy is economical with words."
True enough!
And another story....
Once, when my father was in his late teens or early 20s, a scout from the NY Yankees saw my father pitching in a local-league game. Dad was offered a job as closing pitcher for the Yankees! But Dad didn't take the job: he didn't want to leave his ailing father. who was becoming unmanageable due to dementia. Yet another indication of my father's character: that he would so honor his own father, who was a difficult man to deal with because he was bipolar.
Wow, typing all this in makes me sad. I miss my father so much!
I feel blessed that not only will I be celebrating today with my dad, but Mr. Cube will become our nephew's Godfather.
There will be several generations of proud fathers at the church service today.
Always On Watch: Thanks for sharing about your dad. I feel bad for the children who don't have dads in their lives. Not everyone is as lucky as we were.
Thankfully, my dad is still here and thriving. Lots of stories, but I love his sayings.
He admires people of action who have the courage to attack a rotten status quo.
Back when the press was savaging President Reagan, Dad would say "they only try to tackle the man with the ball."
I heard Ken Blackwell on the radio describe his dad's version, which I also love: "Dogs don't chase parked cars."
Z, You might appreciate this story. My dad was a piano player. Self taught, never had a lesson and couldn't read music. It was never his profession but he played piano bars on occasion, when he needed a little scratch.
In 1930 or 31, he took a train to Chicago looking for work. He was 18 or 19 years old. He found a speakeasy, they operated openly by that time, outside Chicago (I can't remember exactly where) that let him play piano for tips.
One night, a nattily dressed man came in with an entourage. My dad asked someone who it was. They said it was the owner. He found out a couple days later, the owner was Al Capone. Not long after that, he watched some guy get stabbed in the bar, so he hightailed it back to Mpls.
Like your dad, he was into the 'cornball' humor. When someone asked if he played by ear, he'd say, no, my neck's not long enough.
AOW, Cube,...I thought my dad had the most integrity and goodness...but, I'm biased! It's WONDERFUL to hear your stories...Always...you had the kind of man for a dad I admire SO MUCH and feel SO LUCKY to have had myself. I LOVED your stories....
Cube, if you feel that lucky to be with your dad today, you had a wonderful dad, too> Enjoy the baptism today; I know your nephew's lucky to hae you and Mr Cube as Godparents. I'll be thinking of you.
Silverfiddle...I'm thankful for you that your dad's still with you, too. It's clear to see you cherish him; bravo, SF. Have a great day.
Craig, I laughed out loud at the "play by ear..neck isn't long enough"...I had never heard that before.
And..HE SAW AL CAPONE? I'm somewhat a gangster girl myself!; when I was about 10, I saw some gangster movie on TV and distinctly remember telling my dad that night at dinner that what I wanted to be when I grew up was a GUN MOLL. I swear. You should have seen his face! (what did I KNOW? It looked glamorous!)
But, to actually see Al Capone..THAT IS SO COOL!! :-)
...shortly after my Dad died, I was singing at a nearby club that had an open mic situation but normally the AMAZING jazzpianist/singer did all the singing...he let me go up for thirty minutes at a time so it ticked the singing hopefuls off BUT, one night, I had finished singing and someone approached me and asked me to come to a table, which I did...and there was a tiny elderly black man in the entourage..."You have a wonderful voice and style, thank you for singing.." he said.....I wanted to rush to the phone to call Dad because a member of his group told me " He is an original member of the INK SPOTS"....
but Dad was already gone. I'll never forget that moment of realization... something SO COOL that I couldn't share with him, the music lover.
I'll never forget your ear/neck story, thanks, Craig. Have a good day.
My father was almost 41 when I, his only child, was born.
Dad was quite the man about town -- until he met Mom when he was 39. They married within 6 months. Years later, after Mom passed away, an old flame called; he blew her off. I asked him about the woman, and he replied, "Somebody I knew before I met your mother. I'm not interested in starting a new marriage now."
Always, it was obviously a real love story, wasn't it. And how they must have adored you, their only child.
I'd say how many dad had but you know me and anonymity!
After Dad died, we talked to Mom about remarrying and a couple of men asked her to dinner or a show...and she always said "I had the best, why would I want to marry again?"
It's clear that was what your Dad knew, too.
Doing my Dad's second favorite thing today - having a family fish fry.
His first favorite thing is fishing :)
My father had the courage of ten men. He was a recovering alcoholic who fought his addiciont and won and he battled through cancer for four years despite the doctors giving him six months when he was diagnosed.
When I was younger if anyone said I was just like my father I would get angry, now I could think of no greater honor.
I miss the Army/Navy games with him and his wit.
At my wife's 30th birthday (he was using a walker by this time) I asked him if it were true that women hit their peak in their 30s. Without skipping a beat he said 'how do you think I got to be this way!'
If I could have but half his courage
There's so much I could say about my Dad, but I'd have to write a book! He could be funny and fun, didn't use those four letter words either, and always took the time to answer our questions, and explained the how and why, about all manner of things.
He took me deep sea fishing beginning when I was about thirteen. First, off a barge, then a half day boat, and finally the all day boat. He did this I realized later, so he and I could share an activity together.
I so enjoyed those outings just with Dad. Oh, and I loved fishing and still do.
When my sister reached about that same age, she wasn't interested in fishing, so he took her rock hunting and found she enjoyed that. So rock hunting they would go, just the two of them.
He saw to it, that both of his girls could share a special time with him and he with us.
This is just one example of our Dad, which shows he was an engaged father, involved in our lives, and had an active influence in our growing up years.
Dad died in 1974, and I miss him very much. Like AOW, this makes me sad too. There's one thing I know for sure, love knows no end, and remains part of us, forever. Thanks Dad.
Happy Fathers Day to all Dads here today, and especially to Mr. Pris, who is himself, a great Dad.
My dad is truly my best friend. It wasn't always so.
We all know the adage. When we're teens, our fathers are the most ignorant, buffoonish men we know, and ten years later we're amazed at how quickly they became geniuses. ;)
That's great Pris that your Dad was so intentional...it's a hallmark of a great Dad
Thanks Elbro. To this day, I'm so grateful to him for it.
Z, I meant to tell you how much I enjoyed the Welsh men's choir. Beautiful.
Beamish, I adore fried fish...mmm have some for me.
Elbro, he sounds like a great example.
Pris, imagine with all the girls in our family how many books we could have written of special experiences?? :-)
How I miss him.
I guess that's the best homage or respect or love we could show them now, isn't it: That we still admire and love our dads SO MUCH.
God bless u Z..awesome to have precious memories eh......:) hugsss
When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, my dad took me to the Sunday drag races and had me racing his 67 442 Olds. We campaigned that car until I got drafted.
I’d get fed up working on some car project and walk away mad only to come back and find the parts and pieces I was struggling with installed.
He made me the motor head I am to this day!
When he was 60, the Lord used me to bring him to a saving relationship with Jesus. One of the most fulfilling things in my life!
He's been gone almost twenty years now and I still miss him.....
oh, Scotty...thanks for sharing that.
It really doesn't get too much easier, does it.
I'm learning that after having lost my dear hubby only 20 months ago, too........sometimes you're okay and suddenly you're not okay.
Good that you brought your dad to faith...xxx
I have a Dad story, and I hope everyone here takes it to heart. I made a big mistake with my father. On the evening of February 10th of 2009, I visited my father in the hospital with my two brothers. We knew he was in bad shape but he'd managed, even at 88, to emerge victorious every prior time. I forgot the Family Factor. That night, he had everyone from the family around his bed. His wife, my mother, had already passed away in 2002. But all his sons were by his bedside, and my wife. I could see he was losing strengh so I suggested we leave. My wife whispered in my ear: "You should kiss him goodnight." I figured he'd be there, in the morning when we would come to visit again, like every other time. I was the Big Tough Guy and wanted to convey that he was tough too. I didn't kiss him goodbye.
He passed at 3:30 am the next morning while we were all asleep. To this day, I cannot tell you how I regret not taking my wife's advice. I set the tone in the family. If I had done so, I bet my other brothers would have also, though I'm the youngest of the sons.
It tears my heart, more than two years later, to think I didn't do this one small thing for my father.
Take the lesson, ladies and gentlemen. Give your father a kiss, a hug, though it may make him uncomfortable or not, it doesn't matter. You never know just how much time remains. Don't be left with regrets.
BZ
BZ; thanks for sharing that. I won't give you platitudes to ease your mind, what's the use? It's your story and your feelings and only you know the full picture of your own personal situation; I'll just say you did a big favor to a lot of people who'll read this and take heart. At least I hope they do.
Regrets are tough; every widow or widower has them, too...no matter WHAT.
I sure remember the beautiful posts you did about your dad when he passed...you did an amazing job touching our hearts with your love for him; thanks for doing it again.xx
Thanks Z, nice video.
Z,
I was thinking about my dad a lot the past couple of days. I miss him everyday and so does my mom. She isn't so cognizant anymore, but she can remember everything about my dad. I posted some things about my dad and a sad death in our small town. Take care.
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