I scurried past the father's day card display this year, hoping to escape the bitter truth of it being the first year I have no reason to buy a card for either my beloved husband Dan, or my adoring Daddy, Lon. As with most families we had a custom of doing all we could to make the day special for the men we called Daddy. Usually a barbeque and maybe some nice steaks and baked potatoes would get a pretty big smile out of the man of the house! Truth is, this year my husband is celebrating the day of honoring fatherhood with Jesus. He and my precious Daddy are together and I am certain there is quite the spread on the table of grace.
We were blessed as children to know with out a single doubt that our Daddy loved our Momma. He showed it in so many delightful ways! Holding her hand in public, telling her she was pretty, making time for just the two of them to sit and share time together. He smiled at her from the choir loft on Sundays and issued a stern look to the boys and I if we misbehaved. With out a doubt, we know he was bigger than life. Our hero and a godly man. A deacon, a man of caring ways who believed in reading the bible every day. He had the biggest arms which held our hearts for generations.
The man I love was also a wonderful Daddy. Our two girls were the light of his heart. He was thrilled to be the father of two sweet and loving little girls. There was no doubt he would go to the ends of the earth to make certain they had every reason to cherish him. I still picture them riding on his strong shoulders through the park when their little legs grew weary. He never seemed to run out of compassion for their needs. Dawn would crawl up on his back when he took a nap just to snuggle her Dad. Deanna always put her arms up and asked to be held safely by him.
As a mom I counted myself fortunate to be loved by such a man. I wondered if every father loved his children with the same unconditional love and affection. Later in life we became grandparents, and once again the excitement of being around little people lit up his handsome face. We were thrilled to see our family grow and to be able to spend time with our little sweet grandchildren. To the day he went to heaven he counted it joy to be in their company! Oh the memories in my heart could fill page after page, but for today I will simply say thank you for loving me, and giving your heart and soul to making sure we knew you loved us all and we will spend eternity together!
In closing I would like to share a poem written by me for my sweet Daddy Lon McCartney in 1980:
I found it on the back of a needlework picture I made for him that fathers day so long ago. The front of the picture has the words "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy"
"When God made a father he sent molded with love, each man in His image, a gift from above.
To guide all his children, and show them the way, to help in the sharing of living each day.
To comfort when problems were too much to bear, a shoulder to lean on with wisdom to share.
Yes, God gave His gift to each one on earth, a father to love us, beginning at birth.
He went one step farther to show us His love, He gave few a Daddy, a gift from above."
I didn't have a father that I could feel the way you do. But God knew that I needed to see and feel what a real earthly dad was like so he gave me Mike. Words can't explain how what an awesome husband he is but the father he is I have been blessed beyond measure. But the dad he is straight from Crystal is quite, sensitive, and emotional. My words are loving, caring, Godly. I asked God once why I didn't have a dad like Mike. The only thing I could see was that I now do have that daddy I did not have as a child. I have the greatest father of them all. God
ReplyDelete