Sunday, June 19, 2011

remembering

My Dad has been gone for many years now...since August 2000...I was looking through a box of things I had gathered at the time of his death and found some photos and a card I decided to share today.
dad
dad with us and cousins

dad and his buds
dad and his toy


teaching vix to golf
hands on teaching from dad


I bought the card when I was on a trip somewhere and ran across it while browsing.  I thought it would make a perfect Father's Day card.  The sentiments in it were exactly what I felt about Dad.




You'll notice it isn't signed?  That is because I forgot I had it.  By the time Father's Day rolled around, it was lying in some drawer collecting dust.  So Dad never saw this card.  I have had a lot of regret about it.  Not agonizing, because like my Dad, I am a realist.  But a little corner of my heart and spirit carries a teeny tiny bit of guilt, like a small bruise that isn't visible to the naked eye, but that causes you a little pain when you bump against it.  So from time to time, when I open that box, and see that card, I wish once again Dad could have read it.  And then I close the box, tie the ribbon around it once again, and move forward through my life.

Many of you have dads, or men in your lives, who mean a lot to you.  Some are still living, others have passed on to another plane of being.  There is nothing I can write about dads that you haven't read somewhere else.

If you have not had a dad in your life, or your dad wasn't the best dad, then I hope there was some man somewhere in your life you could look up to and learn from....a teacher, a friend...someone who could show you the true meaning of fathering.

I have written posts about every dad that meant something to me, so I decided to follow a fellow blogger's idea today and repost those here, for you to read (or reread) if you like.  These are about the men in my life that have had the most influence on me.

My Dad:
august

My other Dad:
my other dad

My son:
the son becomes the father

The love of my life:
the softness of a man

When you have a chance, tell the man or men in your life that you appreciate him/them. And say why.
Don't waste an opportunity.

Those opportunities might not always be there.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

~cath xo
Twitter @jonesbabie

11 comments:

  1. BeckeyJune 19, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    Thanks Cath. I am very lucky to still have my father around. Unfortunately I don't spend as much time with him as I would like because of his wife. I don't like or respect her as a person. I suppose I should just get around that and cherish as much time as I can with him

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  2. DavidJune 19, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    Thanks for sharing those treasured memories of your dad and the other men in your life!! Despite not giving the card to your father I'm sure he knew how much you loved him, sounds like you had a special relationship with him!!

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  3. Jo BryantJune 19, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    A great look into someone else's life. :)

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  4. cathy jonesJune 19, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    @Beckey My dad's second wife was loving and kind and unfortunately she died...I still miss Ida...the last wife was civilly cold to us...very shallow and clearly did not want a relationship with any of dad's daughters. If I had it to do again, the stepmonster would not have put me off so much. In the end, I let her know that some of the things that belonged to dad, like my grandmother's crocheted things, were ours and not hers. Had I been plainer spoken earlier in life, I might have had more time with dad. But it is what it is...learn from me Beckey and don't be put off.
    ~cath xo

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  5. cathy jonesJune 19, 2011 at 6:33 PM

    @David Yes, although there are things I would change and do differently, overall we had a good relationship with Dad. Thanks for your comments David!
    ~cath xo

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  6. cathy jonesJune 19, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    @Jo Bryant Thanks Jo I am glad you enjoyed it. :D
    ~cath xo

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  7. VixJune 19, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    Lots of memories here Cathy, can't organize my thoughts like you to put it down. When I was walking through Lowe's garden department Friday I had a "Daddy" moment. I thought about how I must have gotten my love for plants from all those dimes he gave me to go to Monte Vista Nursery and buy a coke. Had to drink it there or pay a deposit on the glass bottle so I wandered around reading the names of the plants and looking at how beautiful they were. :-D I love you sissy!

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  8. cathy jonesJune 19, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    @Vix
    And I was probably reading a book at home when you were reading the names on those plants...I remember seeing Dad reading about clouds one day...something about work, he had a bunch of notebooks spread out...that is when I learned what cumulus and cirrus clouds were. :D
    Wonderful memories he left us with vix...xoxo sissy thanks for sharing yours.

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  9. AnonymousJune 20, 2011 at 6:04 AM

    My own dad did some thing right, but also left a lot to be desired. I did have some father figures who have had a positive influence on me, though. I bet your father knows how you feel about him and is smiling down on you! <3

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  10. cathy jonesJune 20, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    @sweepyjean I am glad you had some positive male influence in your life SJ, and thanks for the nice comment. I appreciate it. :D
    ~cath xo

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  11. VixJune 25, 2011 at 9:57 AM

    the clouds I remember, so I must have been inside with you that day as I remember the pictures and him explaining and naming the different clouds~ smooches

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