Friday 14 June 2013

In Honor of Dads - Part I




My Dad passed away in July of 2009.  I still miss a million things about him.  He was a man that loved his family and dedicated his life to loving his Heavenly Father too.  I am truly honoured to have had a man like this for my dad.



My Father’s Hands
These hands belong to the first man I ever loved.   They represent to me all that is kindness, compassion and strength.  My whole life I’ve been fascinated to watch them start motors, build steps, paint cars, tie skates, fix toasters, pull chokes, bait fishing lines, saddle horses, play guitar, grout tiles, pick saskatoons…I’ve seen them covered in grease and lustre sheen, full of metal slivers, nicked and cut, scraped and chapped.  I’ve also seen them laid tenderly upon the sick, folded faithfully in prayer, reaching out in love, boosting strangers’ cars, upholding the weak, wiping tears, reaching for candies, clapping in praise, snuggling my little ones… I’ve felt them squeeze mine (unknowingly tighter & tighter) during prayers, and hugging me thousands of times.  And so, I will hold these hands forever in my heart and say thanks for the Dad who used them to love. 
 February 2007




My dad had a fabulous twinkle in his eye.  It was one of my favourite things about him.  I see snippits of that twinkle in my son Colt and it always makes me smile.


My dad knew how to love my boys -- to spoil them and hug them and make them feel like they were the center of his universe.



Of course...he also knew how to love my girl.  They were really quite the pair.  I don't know of anyone else who could have convinced my dad to watch "Barbie" movies for hours on end.  She knew every secret passage way into my Dad's heart and she travelled them all, skipping and singing and being "his girl"  the whole way.



My Dad also adored my husband.  They had a cherished father-son (in-law) relationship that Lance and I still enjoy remembering.  It's a wonderful thing to know your dad loves your man - and somewhat miraculous given how protective fathers are of their daughters.  These two spent countless hours together working in dad's garage on Lance's old cars.....something that made both of them proud and happy as school boys.  




I really love this picture of my brother and my Dad in the back yard taken only days before he passed away.  Dad was only home on a day pass from the hospice.  Though he was very weak by this time and couldn't stand for long, he still managed to get under the hood of the motorhome with Garth and figure out what was wrong.  I think just working together with his son was his idea of a perfect afternoon.













Dad's garage fascinated me my whole life.  I giggled to find this note from me as a teenager stapled on the inside of one of cupboard doors.  Every single inch of that garage was filled with items or tools he'd collected or saved to use somewhere, some time.  He knew right where to go to find it all too. 



The garage was where he did much of his thinking and praying and problem solving.  It was the place he worked, fixing up cars -- inside and out -- to make extra money for our family or to give away to someone who needed it.  

My dad was faithful to my mom, loving and respecting  her for over 60 years.  This was another beautiful gift my father gave to me.  

 There are thousands of pictures and memories and how can one tiny blog begin to touch my love for my dad.  I guess I better start sooner next time.  

I love you Dad and always will.  

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!





(p.s. for some unexplainable reason, the text and images in this post are all weird and glitchy but I'm tired of trying to fix.  Just want this posted in time for Father's day....so, what ev! --- i'm learning to say that more!)


word and images ©copyright Melody Armstrong 2013

3 comments:

  1. All choked up with tears rolling down my cheeks! Beautifully written from a stunning heart of love.

    Rabindranath Tagore - YOUR voice, my friend, wanders in my heart, like the muffled sound of the sea among these listening pines.

    xoxojoey

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  2. ah.......love! How you've been on my heart daily, lately. Thank you for your faithful presence in my life -- a hundred ways you will never even know. I'm sorry and grateful for the tears, all at the same time. Strange...this life of ours. I love that my voice wanders in your heart. I wish I would have said it to you first. "Forever and allllllllwaaaaayyyyyysssss!"

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  3. This was a beautiful and touching tribute to your amazingly wonderful Dad, he was soooo cute! It really made me thankful for all the years I had with my Dad! Tears as well in a good way!

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