Tag Archives: memories

Dad Got Mad

Leave a reply

Life lessons from Chubby (my dad) and other smart folks I’ve met on the road.

Casey, Me, Brian, Corey, Jason & Tanner ready to play

Casey, Me, Brian, Corey, Jason & Tanner ready to play

“Greg, STOP!” Chubby scolded.

“I can’t,” I replied. “I’m writing tomorrow’s Savvy Dad. I do one each day.”

“Greg, you forgot what I taught you 50 years ago,” Dad sternly said.

“What’s that?” I asked in a curious way.

“Moments!” Dad shouted. “Don’t blow big moments. Remember our special moments together?”

“I sure do,” I said as my mind wandered back to the day.

“Wish we could have a few back?” Dad wistfully said.

“Gosh, Dad,” I replied. I’d love that.”

“Greg, this is a very big moment. Your four boys just traveled ‘cross country to be with you on your birthday. Dive in. Don’t waste a second. You’ll look back and be glad.”

Dad was so right. My kids are all here. They came just to see me. Our Savvy Dad readers will understand.

The lesson I learned from Chubby today?

Big moment? Savor the day.

4 wheelin’ behind our Wyoming ranch with Brain, Corey and Casey

4 wheelin’ behind our Wyoming ranch with Brian, Corey and Casey

“We didn’t know we were making memories.
We just thought we were having fun.”

Frozen Moments

Leave a reply

“Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.”

—Corrie Ten Boom

Today’s poem is contributed by Tom Krause.

Frozen Moments

Sam Krause

You were three years old.

Balls were bouncing in the gym.
Children were running, shooting baskets.
Among all the chaos
I saw you grinning at me –
wanting me to watch you.
You waved at me – I waved at you.
You showed me how you could dribble.
The moment froze in my memory.
READ MORE 

Wax Angel

Leave a reply

“Don’t wait until it’s too late to tell someone how much you love them and how much you care about them, because when they’re gone, no matter how loud you shout and cry, they won’t hear you anymore.”

—Unknown

Today’s story is contributed by Risa Nye.

wax angel mom

Risa’s mother at the mic, circa 1960

After my mother died in 2007, my sister and I tackled the job of clearing out her house, room by room. I thought the kitchen pantry would be pretty straightforward, so I opened the door and surveyed the shelves.

My mother’s pantry: stockpiled with “just in case” supplies left untouched for years. I quickly tossed aside the boxes of stale crackers and cookies and emptied murky bottles into the sink. But tucked away in the farthest corner of one shelf, nearly hidden behind ancient cans of soup and boxes of petrified teabags, a little black box caught my attention. My mother had stashed her jewelry in unlikely places, so this box might contain a precious pair of earrings — or it could be empty. I reached for the box and opened it carefully.

And there she was: a wax angel who had rested peacefully in the pantry for over 30 years.

READ MORE 

My Father – A Successful Unhappy Man

3 Replies

“The most important thing in life is knowing the most important things in life.”

—David F. Jakielo

Today’s story is contributed by Dr. Bruce H. Jackson.

unhappy man, lieutenant

Bruce’s father, Lt. C. Charles Jackson

My father was a self-made man. Growing up during the Depression was a great challenge and blessing for him.

His father, my grandfather (who I never met), was a blind doctor. He made house calls in exchange for eggs and fresh produce. I’m always amazed how this man’s diligence and grit rubbed off on my father.

My father told me of the days he hunted for squirrel and rabbit so they could supplement their meals. He worked before and after school. The family lived a very frugal and controlled life — as my grandfather didn’t like to have his children leave the property much or be out of his control. READ MORE 

Get Busy Living

Leave a reply

“Get busy living or get busy dying.”

—Stephen King, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

Today’s story is contributed by Jason Dwurple.

Mom died in 2011. Her loss devastated Dad and me. We discovered that we had a choice…

“Get busy living or get busy dying.”

Let me explain…
Dad and Mom met in high school. Within a few days, they were inseparable. They were best friends first. That was a time when it was unusual for boys and girls to have that kind of relationship.

get busy living

Dad, Mom, and Jason years ago.

Dad was a tough guy, a boxer. Mom was also an athlete, a track star. They did everything together. She helped him train. He ran with her in the mornings. They spoke late into the night on the phone. Within a year, they had fallen in love.

After high school, they were engaged. Married. I was born. Our family from that point on as close as a family could be. Jokes and teasing were the norm; so were morning and bedtime hugs. Mom and Dad — two crazy lovebirds, an inseparable team.

So when mom died suddenly in 2011 — a heart attack with no warning — I was devastated. But for Dad the pain was unbearable. He plunged into an abyss. He lived in void. Mom was his life. He was lost. READ MORE