Gifts My Father Gave Me

He gave me his name. It was his father's before that, it is also the name that I keep clean.

He taught me to measure twice, cut once. My father was a master carpenter and lay out iron worker. He taught me to always measure twice and cut once, to me it meant to always check my work, check things out before proceeding with anything. 

My dad was an organic gardener way before it became popular with the "beautiful people". He did his very best to use compost, manure, plants to ward off insects and animals. Every spring he would spend hours tilling up a 50'w x 20'l section of our backyard to garden. It had everything, tomatoes, lettuce (3 or 4 varieties), corn, peppers, zucchini, herbs (parsley, chives, basil, oregano), pumpkins, horseradish, radishes, and baby carrots for the kids my mom watched. Everyday he would come home, drop his lunch pail on the steps, change his shoes and go to the garden where he would pull a carrot for every child there. He washed them, trimmed the greens, and handed them out like candy on Halloween. After that, he would pick whatever was ripe, rinse it off, and bring it in the house to be used at supper. We never bought produce in summer, ever. I remember one time he saw one of our neighbors planting flowers, he said to him, "If you can't eat it why plant it?" this came back to me when I came home to live and tried my hand at gardening. As I would be kneeling in my flower garden I would hear him whisper, "If you can't eat it, why are you planting it?". Thus began my foray into organic gardening with a few tomatoes, herbs, a pepper plant or two. 

When I was about ten or so, my mom wanted me to have a desk. She looked all over, she & dad drove to a place an hour away just to see what they had. When both of them agreed that for the price ($150 in the 70's) it wasn't a nice piece of furniture, my dad decided to make me one. Of all of the furniture that is in my home, this is my prize possession. It was made for me, and me alone. It has traveled with me when I moved, and came home with me when I came home. 

My dad was a Marine. That's right I didn't date until I was about 16, and then some of the guys never came back they were so afraid. But dad taught me to love our flag, to love the freedom it stands for, to respect the men and women who wear a uniform, no matter what branch, or when they served. That is why I go out of my way to say, "Thank you" when I see someone in uniform. 

Last but not least, dad gave me his love. Taught me that I was worthy of respect. Thank you dad for all of these things and so much more. I love and miss you on day's like today. I will be listening for more of your whispers when you are ready to let me hear them.