I almost skipped this week too because the prompt is Father's Day. I must admit...I now despise Father's Day. It wasn't always that way. I use to love spending Father's Day with my dad but since he passed away in 2012, I just dread it coming every year.
Why? Because of all the emails and ads that say "Buy this for dad, he will love it, or send dad this special card or do this with your dad"
I see friends posting photos on Facebook of them with their dad or saying what a great time they are having with their father.
I can't spend the day with my dad, I can't see him, I can't even call him and I hate that! I miss my dad so, so much that it pure hurts my heart. I mean actually makes my heart hurt because I ache for him.
My dad was born in 1935, his official birthday is January 16th but he really doesn't know if he was born on the 15th or 16th because family members seem to disagree and his school records say one thing while his birth records say something different. So, he always celebrated on the 16th.
He was raised in poverty. He had to hunt and kill his own food from the time he was old enough to hold a gun (6 or 7) and his parents were not exactly the best role models.
As a result, he decided to join the Army as soon as he turned 18, he only had a few months left of high school but he needed to get away from a not so good home life. (Years later, the army did award him a high school diploma)
He married my mother on April 1, 1955.
After the Army, he had jobs driving log trucks and eventually got a job in Tallahassee, FL with Tenneco driving a gasoline delivery truck. My brother was born in Tallahassee.
Later, that lead to a job with Mabbett Hauling Company and the family moved to Atlanta, GA and I was born there. The owner of the company wanted to start a regional office and asked my dad to be the sole employee of the start up so the family moved to Columbus, GA (when I was 2 months old) and my sister was born there.
About 10 years later, the owner was having some issues in the central office and asked my dad to return but work in the office and stop driving a truck so he did and we all moved back to Atlanta, GA
He remained there for about 20 more years and then he was asked to be a safety director over their Florida region (by then the company had been purchased by Florida Rock & Tank Lines). He remained there until he retired with 40 years of service.
That didn't slow him down though - he needed something to do so he worked various jobs and eventually found one he really loved (while in his late 70s) as a security officer at the local hospital. He loved it and they loved him.
Despite only having a high school education, he really moved up in the world, he was very smart and I can only imagine how far in life he could have gotten had he had more opportunities and education.
He was a great dad...he didn't believe in spanking (because he was physically abused and swore he would never lay a hand on his kids). He didn't drink or smoke (because he came from a family of alcholics and swore he wouldn't do that to his kids).
He wanted his kids to have better than him and we all did. We all graduated college, we three got great jobs with good pay.
He made sure we were exposed to history (he took us on weekend trips all the time to historic sites and state parks) and he made sure that we were well provided for.
We can all look back and say we had a happy childhood - because we did.
I sure miss my dad. I know one day, I will see him again. It is truly hard to go through a day without him in it - it really, really is
There are so many times I want to call him and get his advise. I miss that so much.
So...Happy Father's Day to my dad, in Heaven. I love you.
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