Memories of Dad

“A son honoureth his father” —Malachi 1:6

I only had my Dad for the first 15 years of my life. He died of a sudden heart attack before I was 16.  But I will always cherish my memories of time I spent with my Dad.

One of my earliest memories of my Dad when I was five. My Dad was a WW2 vet and we spent some time at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. I remember him driving my Mom and I to the top of Pike’s Peak and my ears popping.

My Dad gave me the job of mowing our lawn on Winifred Street in Wayne, Michigan. He just bought a new power mower and taught me how to use it.  I was about 10 years old.  He always commended me for doing a good job.  That meant a lot to me.  To this day, almost every time I mow the lawn I think of that.

My Dad worked at the State Wayne Theater as a motion picture projectionist.  I loved it when he took me to work with him on Saturday afternoons to sit in the projection booth and watch the movies. I didn’t mind helping him carry those heavy metal canisters of reels of film upstairs to the projection booth.

One of my favorite memories of my Dad was when he took me on a fishing trip to North Bay, Ontario (see pics). We spent about a week camping on Martin Lake and had a great time.

I also remember times when my Dad disciplined me when I needed it.  Once I got a “good” spanking after I set a field on fire at the end of our block.  That cured me of “playing with matches.”

I loved my Dad. Much of what I am today, I owe to him.  He taught me to work hard, live right, and be friendly.  He’s in heaven today, having received Christ in a Tent Revival in Detroit while he was a teenager. I look forward to seeing him again someday in glory.

If you are a father, create some great memories for your children. Spend time with them.  Build character into their lives and a sense of accomplishment.  You’ll never regret it.

Hope you had a Happy Father’s Day!