Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day.  Many of those who still have their fathers with them will celebrate with a family gathering, maybe some good barbeque, or maybe a card and a phone call.  No matter how you celebrate the day, family stories and memories are sure to find their way into the conversation.

Just as many first-born kids, I was a Daddy's girl.  When I was only six years old, he was killed in an accident right before Father's Day.  I still have the little red Swingline stapler that I had picked out for his Father's Day gift.  I never got to give it to him but it still sits on my desk.

But I also have memories that come to mind from time to time - especially on Father's Day.  My Dad was a farmer, and one of my favorite memories is of summer evenings when he would come home from the fields after dark, lay down on the porch with me snuggled up next to him, and we would look into the night sky and sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." 

Another favorite memory is of the last Christmas Eve he was with us.  I got to go with Daddy to the midnight Christmas Eve service at our church because I was a big girl, while my sister had to stay home with Mom because she was too little to stay up that late.  When we came home Santa had been there and brought me the most wonderful doll house ever!

I happen to think that memories run together to help make us who we are, and I cherish mine.  Happy Father's Day, Daddy!