Back in the day...

It's amazing the memories someone's capable of keeping about the people they love. The vivid pictures of my life and the memories attached are something that I wish I could print out and create a tangible book for all to read. I would publish it if I could. To me, my good memories are so special that I feel it's impossible for others to have the kind of history and family I do. I could brag about my dad to no end; in fact I have and it's just not received the way I expect it to be. They should be speechless. They should want to hear more and in detail. They should laugh and cry. They should be proud. But, the reality is that those are MY feelings and memories about my dad and nobody else's. He was the most important person in my life. I often find myself saying, "What would my dad do?" As a parent, I compare myself to him all the time. I NEVER remember my dad raising his voice to me. Well, maybe there were a FEW times in high school, and believe me I really deserved it. :) All in all, his level of patience with me was incredible. I wish I could be the same way.

Born in 1950, he was from a different time. A time where tradition and family meant everything. He was adopted into a beautiful family as the 4th child and only boy. They were the epitome of the American dream. They owned 'Knight's Ben Franklin Store' and were heavily involved in their church. My dad was in the Boy Scouts and he ran around with his friends and played cops and robbers and jumped off of things with a cape around his neck pretending to be Superman. He had a tree house with a secret club where, as you can guess, no girls were allowed. It's funny, because much of the movie 'The Christmas Story' makes me laugh...because what Ralfie does and says remind me of what it might have been like during those times that my dad was in school and playing with his friends. I have a book titled 'School Memories' in which classmates and teachers of his wrote excerpts to my dad. Here are just a few of them:

There were several letters, poems and rhymes by the kids that were so hilarious... here are a few!

This one is from what I would consider a 'good pal'. :)

Several pages after, here is the letter from Ann W.!


From one of his best buds, Mike Dodge.

So, it looks like my dad may have been quite the ladies man in school, to his own dismay. :) In the end, this blog post was started after coming across a picture that made me smile. I think it captures the true essence of the time, his childhood, and the fun spirit my dad was and will always be to me.

I miss you, Dad. ♥