Thought a lot about my dad today. I know it is Mothers Day but see, he was both my mother and father. I always bought him his favorite flower, a white peony bush, for Mothers day. One time he told me, “Rhettie, save your money. Instead of buying me something, help me out here.” So that is what I did.
He raised chickens, had a large veggie garden and lawns to mow. He would mow while I did other things. Then we would have a meal together. I learned a lot from him and I must give him credit for me not wanting to live close to my siblings. I saw what I did not want in my life. Dad and I were more alike. He was such a homebody finding peace where he lived and what he did on his property. He was such a happy person. My mother, he referred to as a horse turd. She was always in the road or shopping. She wasn’t home much. I found that was true as I aged even though my parents were divorced. It was like she was either trying to fill a void in herself or she did not like her own company.
I had other siblings but one lived away. The others lived closer to dad but they did not like helping him much. I was about 10 miles away but when he would call, I would go if I wasn’t working. And trust me, there were times when I didn’t want to visit or help him, yet I went. Ugly as all get out and he could sense it when I arrived. Yet he said nothing.
We would start in doing whatever he needed help with, silently. We would stop for a drink and that would be when he asked if things were okay. And we’d talk. As I left to go home, I had felt the weight of the world I once had on my shoulders, gone. And that is why I thought of him just a little bit more today. As I am out there pulling grass and weeds out of the flower beds, I thought of him, alone, always doing what he had to. With no one to help him. And no pissing and moaning. I swear I can hear him talk to me at times. I miss my dad. He was the only stability I ever had in my life. I am grateful for the little time I had with him.
LexiMe - My journey of faith 