Stories about Dad/Grandpa

I hope all you dads had a fabulous father's day!! Since we didn't all get to hang out at Mom's and Dad's and read all the great stories people sent in, I thought I'd share my story and Audrey's story. I got a chance to read several of the stories, and they are wonderful. We are some very good story tellers, and I know Dad love them. Mom said he had to get out his handkerchief more than once. Anyhow, here are our stories.

Oh Dear wonderful Grandpa,

I first want to say I hope you have a fantastic Fathers Day! And secondly I wanted to share some of my favorite memories of you. I always loved when I was little how on our birthdays you would pretend to give us the hardest spankings and we would all get so scared. And how at any moment when no can find Grandpa you can guess he is sleeping in one of the big comfy chairs.

I so admire how you never ever want a present but would rather have us spend the money helping someone who needs it more. That is a person who is truly selfless and a trait I hope I can improve on in my own life. I also love how life touches you so much. My mom and I always say we get our emotional side from you because we feel for others so much in happy and sad times. I also love how you just tell it how it is. No sugar coating anything.

You have also shown me what it's like to be a great father, grandfather, and husband. We should all hope to have someone we can be with for 50 plus years and will still work hard to have a marriage that the Lord wants us to have, not how the world tells us it should be.

Thanks for all the funny memories and inspiring traits you've shown. I can't wait for more.

Love you and God bless,
Audrey


Some of my favorite memories of my Dad come from times when I had done something wrong, which happened way more often than I like to admit. As upset with me as he must have been, he never yelled. He would always talk to me firmly and yet still be calm. I could always feel his love for me, and knowing I had hurt or disappointed him was worse than any punishment he could have given me.

I remember the year the family got a tape recorder for Christmas. Mom and Dad had secretly turned it on to record the chaos that occurred when we all started opening gifts - paper ripping, people yelling "look what i got! what did you get?" The most wonderful chaos in the world. They were going to save it and play it for Grandma O'Connell because she wasn't able to be at our house that Christmas.

We were fascinated by that tape recorder. We'd record ourselves saying anything, interviewing each other, singing, whatever. Then we would delight in hearing our voices played back. But that's a whole different set of memories.

I'm a little foggy on how this happened, but somehow that Christmas Day I managed to record some silly stuff over the Christmas chaos tape. Yes, the one we were going to share with Grandma O'Connell. Needless to say, Mom and Dad were not very happy, and I was devestated. I thought for sure I was in BIG trouble - the sent to your room without dinner kind of trouble. Dad sat me on his knee, and I prepared for the worst (not that I'm dramatic or anything). Instead of yelling or punishment or even a firm talking to, Dad hugged me and told me not to worry. He said there would be many more Christmas' to record. As I cried and cried, he hugged me and kept telling me "don't ever forget, you're my little angel and I love you." I still can feel that hug, and I still feel like Dad's little angel. In that instant my worst Christmas turned into my best Christmas.

Dad will always be my hero for his strength, perseverance, self-discipline, gentleness, sense of humor, faith, and his zen-like euchre-playing abilities. I am proud to say he is also my friend and one of the first people I call for advice. I thank God for blessing me by making you my father. I thank you for being the strong Christian you are, for instilling your sense of values in all of us, and for showing us that it is far more important to live by God's standards than by man's.

Happy Father's Day!

Love, Rita