Tribute to Dad

I couldn’t let Father’s Day pass without posting a tribute to my Dad. I miss him very much. And it’s the little things I miss the most. Like making him his bowl of oatmeal for breakfast on the weekends, or the way he would say “Hey, Lis, did you put the game on?” whenever he wanted to watch a football or basketball game. I miss his big, bright beautiful smile, and the way he would show how he cared for others not by the words he said but by his actions. He was the kind of man who would give you his last dollar if you needed it, the man who would go over to his sister’s house every morning to make sure she ate breakfast during the time she was bedridden after having both of her legs amputated as a result of uncontrolled diabetes, the “Mr. Fix It” of the neighborhood, doing carpentry work and repairs for anyone who asked.

Recently, while looking through some family memorabilia, I came across a Father’s Day present I made for my dad in 1972. It’s a paper heart booklet. On the front cover is a paper cutout of my hand and in the center is my school picture from the third grade.

The inside pages contained some special verses in honor of Father’s day which I neatly printed.

“I give my heart to love you Daddy dear.

I give my hand to work for you each year.

I give you myself, my prayers to bring you cheer
On Father’s Day this year.”

On the back cover I wrote,

“Love, Pumpkin, June 18, 1972 (Pumpkin was my dad’s nickname for me).

I was very fortunate to have my dad with me during the last years of his life. I have no regrets. I told him I loved him and he did the same. Still, I wish I could have one more Father’s Day to tell him again how much I appreciate all he did for me and how blessed I was to have him as my Dad.