Learning valuable lessons from your father
Think about your memories this Father’s Day
RCP READERS & CONTRIBUTORS
During Bloomin’ Garden Show this May, Rat Creek Press had a booth and gave readers and Bloomin’ participants a question: what did you learn or remember from your father?
People gave some wonderful responses! Thank you to those who participated.
My first memory of my dad is from our home in Winnipeg. He was playing the guitar, writing a new song, and when he saw toddler-age me coming into the room, he stopped what he was doing and started to play Puff the Magic Dragon, which was my favourite song!
- Robin Light, daughter of Gordon
My dad used to say, “We’d all go crazy if we weren’t already insane!”
- Anonymous
My dad has left such a huge footprint on my heart.
- Georgina
My dad has the most bikes in the world!
- Sandy
My kids were doing up the obligatory Father’s Day card, struggling for something to write. My daughter wrote, “Hi, Dad. You’re weird.” I tried not to react when I read it.
Then I opened my son’s card. “Hi, Dad. You’re fun.”
I commented, “Well, that’s a little more complimentary than ‘weird’. Steven replied, “Well, I would have said weird, but Sara already did.”
- Aydan
Dad was my rock. He was and still is the coolest man I’ve ever known. I miss him every day. He was the gardener in the family, although sadly I never learned from him. Marigolds were his favourite flowers, so I plant them every Father’s Day.
- Tekla Luchenski
My dad gave me his love of reading and libraries for one thing, which has been a huge help to me throughout my life. I remember him packing up the three of us and taking us down to the local branch, where he would read us stories. It wasn’t long before all the other kids at the library would be gathered around, listening with us. Now he takes my little boy to the library and it’s pretty beautiful.
- Nadine
My dad used to wear a medic-alert necklace as he was allergic to penicillin. It’s one of the things I remember most about my childhood and my father. He taught me the importance of politics, family, and scotch.
- Victoria Stevens
My dad taught me to take interest in my community. When I would get frustrated with small-town politics, he would say, “The town is just people and people are human” and encourage me to put my energy into making positive change. He taught me that small and simple acts, done often, are critical to making a family and a community work. Grand gestures might get the attention, but somebody, at the end of the day, has to fix the squeaky door at the church hall. He was often that somebody, whether it was noticed or not.
My dad also taught me that every generation can teach us something; he was cautious about “filter bubbles” before social media even existed. He would make friends with people from different ages and backgrounds and take an interest in their perspective.
- Anonymous
My dad loves to share his love of music with anyone who will listen. As a young child, we would sit by his huge stereo system listening to 60s rock and doo-wop bands on vinyl. He would make me mix tapes with the songs of my choosing. By the time I was older and my dad hit his Motown phase, technology had changed so he made me mix CDs instead. Even though technology has changed yet again and today I download all my music, I still have all my tapes and CDs!
- Jessica Kalmar
Featured Image: Fathers are an integral part of our lives. | Pixabay
