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| Wilbur Latimer |
My daddy was a farm boy who
didn’t have the opportunity to go to college. In fact, he went back to finish
high school after dropping out to help at home. He was a Go-Getter, and I sometimes wonder what he could have achieved if
he’d managed to get a college degree.
Daddy was a born salesman, who
enjoyed people. Like most men of his generation, he loved cars, and he sold
Fords at White County Motor Company for years. In spite of what they say
about car salesmen, his honesty and fair dealing brought folks back when it was time to trade vehicles.
We weren’t monetarily rich, but our
home was a place of love and fun. He and my mother had a knack for making the
smallest occasion a
celebration. If Will and I were involved in an activity, he showed
up—yes
even for those dreaded dance recitals.
Daddy inherited his mother’s green thumb and love of flowers so our house was filled with whatever blooms were in season. I remember bouquets of lilacs, roses, bridal wreath, and forsythia gracing our dining table. His idea of unwinding was to cut back privet hedge or work in his flower beds.
He never lost his love for farming
and had a nice garden after he retired. He considered
it fun to plow his sister’s soy beans—until
the tractor turned over on him. Fortunately, he was quick and managed to
jump free except for one leg that got pinned beneath it.
He walked away from that
accident and from farming because of a recurring nightmare of the event. But
until the day he died, he grew the best tomatoes in Arkansas, which he
graciously shared. I wish I had one today.
Come to think of it, I was doubly blessed. Terry’s daddy was also a great father.
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Terry and his dad,
Leslie Johnson |
If I were giving out honorary degrees, these guys would receive PhDs in Fatherhood for the way they loved and cared for their families.
REMEMBERING
DADDY
Doing what came naturally, you
Achieved more in this life than you
knew,
Dear Daddy. Your love
Dawned upon us
Year in year out, confirming a Heavenly Father’s care.
What about you? Are you remembering
a special man today?
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we should be called children of God!
I
John 3:1a
Labels: Family Memories, Father's Day, poetry
