In Praise of Father

I was blessed with the best father a person could have.  Reuben was loving, kind, strong, hard-working, stable, fun - I could go on and on.  Dad was a career Army man, retired when I was 14, then worked for Civil Service.  The only place the family ever went was Germany although Dad traveled the whole world from China to Alaska, throughout America and Europe.

Once, when I was 8, Dad thought I did something major wrong (I actually didn't!) and he calmly told me, "Janice, I'm going to have to spank you.  This is going to hurt me more than it'll hurt you."  I remember thinking to myself, "No, it won't, old man!"  He laid me over his lap then whapped me on the bottom three times with a hairbrush.  Mainly, my pride was hurt.

Dad never screamed at me.  We never had differences of opinion.

After I grew up, went to college for two years, and was married for a couple of years, I came to recognize that my parents were prejudiced.  I was determined to convert Dad to the TRUTH that all people are created equal.

So, Dad and I had long disagreements.  We never got mad but Mother thought we were.  After several years of these friendly arguments, I could see that I hadn't changed Dad's opinions one whit and that he probably would never change.  So I never mentioned it again.

Dad's ambition in life was to become a "Gentleman Farmer."  In my early years, he raised a fine garden of flowers and vegetables plus raised baby chickens to adults for our table in a small coop.  That was the last time he had anything to do with yard work except cut grass till his mid- eighties.  He was not a farmer but Reuben definitely was a gentleman!

Mom and Dad were married for 61 years when she died in 2002.  What a wonderful example of a loving  marriage they were to me and my three brothers!  I know that they had great difficulties in the war years and then around the time I graduated from high school.  But they managed to work it out.

Dad fell and broke a hip the next year after Mom died. We realized that he was deep into dementia -
Mom had covered for him for years!  Then he died at age 89.  I was not ready!  I still miss him but know I am incredibly blessed particularly to have had him for so many years.

Dear Father in Heaven, every human deserves both a loving mother and a loving father.  Please inspire every mother and father to be the best we can be, full of love, for the results are so lasting!