You have reached the big 5-6!
You are now on the slide to six decades, but you still have more energy than most people half your age! Keep it up and you will be 100 with the energy of a 50-year old. You might break a world record. ;)
In honor of your birthday, here are memories, good things about you, traits you passed on, and lessons you taught me:
1) The value of work--you are the hardest worker I know. Just like in our song Daddy's Hands, I remember your hands working 'til they cracked and bled. You worked long hours and were frequently called out in the middle of the night in rain, snow, ice, and tornadoes. You went without complaint. I didn't understand the nature of on-call until I grew up and had a job where I was on-call and would occasionally work until 2:00 in the morning. You were called out way more than I ever was with my job. I still don't know how you did it.
2) Thank you for supporting Mom in the decision to be a keeper-at-home. Your hard work outside of the home ensured that Shelby and I were able to be educated by Mom, the best teacher we could have ever had!
3) Your ability to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
4) Your uncanny ability to immediately sense a person with bad motives.
5) Thank you for always telling people how happy you were to have two girls. I can't count how many times you told people throughout the years, "I have one who loves to hunt and one who loves to fish; I don't need any hard-headed boys." :) You never expressed disappointment at not having a son.
You raised us to follow our dreams. You encourage us to seek knowledge, be independent, and be brave. You do not base our worth as women on marriage. You think our dreams, plans, hobbies, and ideas are cool. Thank you for that.
6) Thank you for not having a double-standard regarding modesty and purity for men and women.
7) Your love for the music of Marty Robbins and John Denver was passed on to me. It is alive and well. Memories of time spent on the road with you are not complete without someone singing, "Out in the west Texas town of El Paso...", or "Country roads, take me home..."
8) Your affinity for trucks that rattle, screech, and roar down the highway, threatening to explode at any moment. Remember the Blue Beast that didn't have a working gas gauge, and Old Yeller, the washed-out mustard colored pickup that didn't have air conditioning and was so loud its passengers had to shout to carry on conversations? I must admit, I'm glad you came to the other side and now drive a truck that has comfortable seating, heat and air, and doesn't leave me deafened after a drive.
9) Your decision to swallow your great dislike for the possibility of crashing in an airplane, and fly across the pond with me to Romania the first time. Between the dogs barking all night, the toxic sausage served New Year's Eve, wandering around Paris after dark in the rain, and me threatening to leave you in a foreign country and fly home alone if you dropped/lost your passport one more time; we had quite the adventure! :)
10) You taught me and Shelby to love the great outdoors, work hard, and stand up for what is right.
11) Your ability to build good fences--The fence will be level, strong, and capable of keeping in livestock, all in one day.
12) Your sense of humor---You can dish it out and take it.
13) Your survival/wilderness skills--You can hunt, fish, trap, and build a shelter. If we are ever lost in the woods or marooned on a desert island, I want you on my team.
14) The massive amount of trivia and historical facts you somehow manage to keep stored in your brain--Thanks to you, I know about the Indian wars and outlaws of the west, the fur trappers and mountain men, the Civil War, and the different types of venomous and non-venomous snakes in America.
15) Along the lines of being a hard worker, thanks for not being a workaholic. I never felt like you chose your career over us; you even decided to change departments and move to an area of the state you disliked just to be able to be home every night instead of on the road for a week at a time. You attended every home school roller skating event, birthday party, and recital.
16) Leading your first song for the church at the age of 55--You are living proof that it is never too late to try something new. As Briscoe Darlin' said, "If you've got time to breathe, you've got time for music." :)
17) The fact that you were willing to wear a wig and moustache, and hold a fake rat at the family reunion.
I love you and hope you have a great day!
You have reached the big 5-6!
You are now on the slide to six decades, but you still have more energy than most people half your age! Keep it up and you will be 100 with the energy of a 50-year old. You might break a world record. ;)
In honor of your birthday, here are memories, good things about you, traits you passed on, and lessons you taught me:
1) The value of work--you are the hardest worker I know. Just like in our song Daddy's Hands, I remember your hands working 'til they cracked and bled. You worked long hours and were frequently called out in the middle of the night in rain, snow, ice, and tornadoes. You went without complaint. I didn't understand the nature of on-call until I grew up and had a job where I was on-call and would occasionally work until 2:00 in the morning. You were called out way more than I ever was with my job. I still don't know how you did it.
2) Thank you for supporting Mom in the decision to be a keeper-at-home. Your hard work outside of the home ensured that Shelby and I were able to be educated by Mom, the best teacher we could have ever had!
3) Your ability to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
4) Your uncanny ability to immediately sense a person with bad motives.
5) Thank you for always telling people how happy you were to have two girls. I can't count how many times you told people throughout the years, "I have one who loves to hunt and one who loves to fish; I don't need any hard-headed boys." :) You never expressed disappointment at not having a son.
You raised us to follow our dreams. You encourage us to seek knowledge, be independent, and be brave. You do not base our worth as women on marriage. You think our dreams, plans, hobbies, and ideas are cool. Thank you for that.
6) Thank you for not having a double-standard regarding modesty and purity for men and women.
7) Your love for the music of Marty Robbins and John Denver was passed on to me. It is alive and well. Memories of time spent on the road with you are not complete without someone singing, "Out in the west Texas town of El Paso...", or "Country roads, take me home..."
8) Your affinity for trucks that rattle, screech, and roar down the highway, threatening to explode at any moment. Remember the Blue Beast that didn't have a working gas gauge, and Old Yeller, the washed-out mustard colored pickup that didn't have air conditioning and was so loud its passengers had to shout to carry on conversations? I must admit, I'm glad you came to the other side and now drive a truck that has comfortable seating, heat and air, and doesn't leave me deafened after a drive.
9) Your decision to swallow your great dislike for the possibility of crashing in an airplane, and fly across the pond with me to Romania the first time. Between the dogs barking all night, the toxic sausage served New Year's Eve, wandering around Paris after dark in the rain, and me threatening to leave you in a foreign country and fly home alone if you dropped/lost your passport one more time; we had quite the adventure! :)
10) You taught me and Shelby to love the great outdoors, work hard, and stand up for what is right.
11) Your ability to build good fences--The fence will be level, strong, and capable of keeping in livestock, all in one day.
12) Your sense of humor---You can dish it out and take it.
13) Your survival/wilderness skills--You can hunt, fish, trap, and build a shelter. If we are ever lost in the woods or marooned on a desert island, I want you on my team.
14) The massive amount of trivia and historical facts you somehow manage to keep stored in your brain--Thanks to you, I know about the Indian wars and outlaws of the west, the fur trappers and mountain men, the Civil War, and the different types of venomous and non-venomous snakes in America.
15) Along the lines of being a hard worker, thanks for not being a workaholic. I never felt like you chose your career over us; you even decided to change departments and move to an area of the state you disliked just to be able to be home every night instead of on the road for a week at a time. You attended every home school roller skating event, birthday party, and recital.
16) Leading your first song for the church at the age of 55--You are living proof that it is never too late to try something new. As Briscoe Darlin' said, "If you've got time to breathe, you've got time for music." :)
17) The fact that you were willing to wear a wig and moustache, and hold a fake rat at the family reunion.
I love you and hope you have a great day!
1 comment:
Wonderful to have this many good memories and still be able to say "Thank you" to him!
Rhoda
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