In Our Memories Today

I know many people use this day to have cookouts, family gatherings and perhaps even take a vacation. And why not? Hardworking people deserve those relaxing times. But I always feel sad on this day.

Yesterday was my daughter's twentieth birthday. We no longer have any teenagers in our family. This year also marks 20 years since my father passed away. He was a WWII vet, one of those who went overseas to defend his country.

Like so many men of that era, he'd never traveled more than twenty miles from the house where he was born before he signed up for the army. His older brother had left before him and my dad enlisted as soon as he was old enough. He dropped out of school, leaving after the tenth grade. Though labeled a sharpshooter after arms training, my father was never tasked to be a sniper. Something I'm grateful for but he saw enough terrible things to last a lifetime.

My dad is the handsome guy on the right

That wonderful man married my mother before he left for overseas and then came home and fathered seven children. He worked 16-18 hours a day for nearly forty years, putting us through college and being a great father and example of what a man should be. Today, I always spend the day thinking of him and missing him. He died a few months before my daughter was born and never met her. I know he would be proud of her.

Each day when I read or hear of another armed services member dying in the service to their country, I think of the hole left in the lives of those they left behind. I pray they know others mourn with them. Thank you to those that serve and have served. May you be safe and always appreciated.

Is this day a celebration holiday for you or a day filled with memories? Did you attend a parade or memorial ceremony? Do you know any veterans?

Thank You

From FB

Today, let's salute all those who have served our country in the armed services. My father was a WWII vet.  He dropped out of high school and joined up as soon as he was old enough. Like so many of the brave men who left home behind to protect their families and country after Pearl Harbor, he's passed on from this life.  I miss him everyday.

From FB

In our modern world, somethings about war have changed but one thing has stayed the same.  There are still brave men and women doing all they can to protect their country and families.  They're far from home, under lots of stress and in my opinion, underpaid.  They're heroes. I hope we all remember that today.

Thank you, veterans, for what you've done and the sacrifices you've made.

Happy Dad's Day

Here's my wish to all the fathers out there.  It's a tough job and not everyone can do it.  I think in bygone days it was easier being a father.  Before women went to work, men could come home and relax.  Many men never changed a diaper or got up in the middle of the night to take their turn with feeding the baby.  Dinner was on the table, clean clothing in the closet and the kids had their homework done.  Weekends might mean mowing the lawns or doing other chores around the house, but their biggest responsibility was bringing home the bacon.  Really, it wasn't that far removed from the days of the cavemen.  LOL

But today's dad, hopefully, takes a bigger responsibility not doing the laundry and cooking but also in raising the children.  He's more involved with his children including the moment of birth.  He can change diapers, bandage a wounded knee and attend a PTO meeting.  He reads to his children at bedtime, helps them with their homework and perhaps coaches their sports teams.  We sometimes hear about superwomen who have careers and do it all, but we also have lots of supermen.

I was a lucky girl growing up.  We lived on a farm so my dad was home all the time.  Despite getting up at 4:00AM to milk the cows, he still had the energy to pass baseball with his tomboy daughter.  In the winter he played board games with us and as often as not helped my mom with the cooking.  He lectured my brothers on keeping the bathroom spotless and would pitch in and help my mother with the laundry when he had time.  He remodeled our farmhouse and taught me most of what I know about powertools.  We all learned to drive the big tractors, milk the cows and butcher(yuchy) hogs, chickens and wild game.  My brothers had to take their turns with the dishes the same as the girls did.  My dad taught me more about equality than any textbook or other life experience.  He was my hero.  He was also a real WWII hero.  My hometown honored him and many others of his generation with banners flying from the light posts of the river walk. 

My father never finished high school.  He dropped out to enlist and fight during WWII.  But he loved to read.  He kept a dictionary by his reading chair so he could look up words he didn't know.  He loved to learn.  I miss him every day.  Happy Father's Day to the best.