Happy Father's Day

This week I find myself remembering the most important man in my early life. We often hear how important mothers are in the development of a child, but little is ever mentioned about the importance of the father.

I was the child of a totally absent father.....my parents were divorced. The father-figure in my life was a devoted and loving grandfather. I can't remember one word he ever said to me in anger or annoyance. He was not well-educated or well-to-do, but he was a giant when it came to understanding life. He was kind....a gentle soul; unusually wise. He knew just the right words to say when I needed discipline or encouragement. He was a quiet man, but when he spoke, it was worth the listening. We were also buddies. He would take me with him to the feed store to buy newborn baby chicks or to the town-square, where back then, old men would sit together on a low rock wall, chew tobacco and talk about their gardens or local politics. He often took me fishing on delightfully warm summer days. He taught me how to use a cane pole and how to put night crawlers on the hook. He told me stories from his own childhood. He taught me how to whittle and how to cut the peeling off an apple in one long unbroken strip. He would sing to me, "Froggy Went A Courting" and "She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain." He made me laugh when he would dance before me in his hillbilly way, that I now understand was the dance of the mountain folk from whence he came. Popo (that's what I called him), was the essence of fatherhood and gave me a wonderful, happy, positive start in life.

My husband is always here for his family, too. As our children were growing up we could always depend on him coming home every afternoon at exactly 5:10 p.m.( on the dot). He was always eager to get home to his family. His six children are his greatest joy and his great wisdom and guidance will remain with them for their entire lives. He is another giant among men. How fortunate we are to have him in our lives!