Dear Children,
Since my father and your grandad is ill, you may already be starting to forget how he is when he is well. How he loves bringing Angel shopping for clothes, chasing aspie boy around the park and then losing to him in chess, and playing gentle games with Smiley.
But there is much more to him than that, and these are some of the things I want you to know about him...
1. He loves you all very much.
2. He is the cleverest person I know. Growing up with him as a father meant daily conversations about politics, economics and society. Relaxation for him rarely means watching TV. Instead he plays board games, sport or starts another discussion. He was always challenging my ideas - often with an original angle. Now I always ask his opinion before making a difficult decision, because his advice is usually the best. And I seek out other clever people, because I enjoy their company.
3. He was the first person in his family to go to university, but Brideshead Revisited or Animal House it was not - he got married! Being ahead of his time, he and my Mum decided to have fun and travel during their twenties and leave child-rearing until their 30s, much to the consternation of their own parents...
4. He was working in computers in the 1950s, when few people had even heard of them. In the 1960s he set up his own computer business and I can still remember his first computer - it filled an entire room. When I was small it was a special treat to be allowed to press the 'red' button and watch the paper tape emerge from the depths of this giant machine. Today he uses a Mac, partly due to my obsession with all things Apple!
5. Life has been good to him and it can be for you as well if you have a positive attitude, live life without fear and seize the opportunities that are offered to you.
Love Mammy xx
Thanks to Ella for this opportunity to write about my Dad, who is the main person I am thinking about right now. The theme of her Friday Carnival is ‘Five things I want you to know about your father’, and it will go live on Friday 9th September.
What a lovely post, your love for your dad shines straight through.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful tribute to a man who sounds like someone I'd love to have a discussion with.
ReplyDeleteA lovely post from which I can sense how proud and caring you are of your dad. He sounds such a interesting and intelligent person. Take care. Deb xx
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you and your family. Your father is an incredible man and equally incredible is your love for him. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a lovely post and such a lovely reminder of you dad, he sounds like a lovely man x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely letter to your kids about your dad. He sounds like a very interesting person and you must have learned so much from him growing up :)
ReplyDeletethe 1st comment is the best!
ReplyDeleteAll the rest were nice, but that one summed it all up.
I don't have any wise words and since i don't stay near you, i can't be about to make you a cupo of tea. But please - if you need an ear or a hankie and a shoulder - give me a holler and i'll be there.
Candi, as always your post is amazing, You can feel the love you have for your dad, and im sure he knows it too xx
ReplyDeleteI had a little cry when i read it!
@auntigwen - thank you x
ReplyDelete@LUCEWOMAN - I think you would :)
@Deb - he really is xx
@Lizbeth - thank you x
@The Rambling Pages - Well I think so x
@lyndylou - I'm still learning from him x
@Julie - that's a lovely offer, thank you.
@Carol - lovely to talk to you today and sorry to make you cry xx
This is a really lovely post and some lovely things about your father. I love the fact he uses a Mac - how cool is he! xx
ReplyDeleteLovely post Blue Sky, brought a tear to my eye too. Your dad sounds like a wonderful man and I can see the great influence he has had on you and how proud of him you are.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you....
((xx)) Jazzy
just beautiful, lucky lady x
ReplyDeleteYour Dad sounds so fab, Beautiful post, it choked me up. Im so sorry that he is unwell. Sending you a Hug x
ReplyDeleteLovely post - got me thinking (again) about my own dad and how much I miss him.
ReplyDeletexx
What a lovely post. I think I'll steal your idea and write a similar one about my dad. Hugs from across the ocean --
ReplyDeleteLisa in Iowa, USA
What a wonderful man to grow up with
ReplyDelete:-)
Just to let you know, I have awarded you the Versitile blogger award, pop over to mine to pick it up x
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I'm so sorry your Dad is ill. He's a very lucky man to have a family that loves and admires him so much. He sounds like a man I too would love to have a conversation with - especially as I'd love to hear about his room-sized computer and how he set up his business. He sounds like a fascinating man, truly.
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad the carnival is back. Might have to have a go at this one xX
Did you say in your previous post he is 81? Your father is the total re-definition of the "modern man". He sounds an absolutely facinating person. I too would love to meet him.
ReplyDeleteOh my. You've really reminded me of my own Dad who I lost close to 2 years ago. I wish I could have written about him so beautifully. x
ReplyDelete@SAHMlovingit - yes for once he listened to me :)
ReplyDelete@jazzygal - he really has influenced me a lot xx
@northernmum - I know I'm lucky to have him x
@The Syders - I hope I didn't upset you x
@what happened - thank you so much for dropping by again and I hope it was good to think about your Dad xx
@Lisa Lavia Ryan - that would be great and why not join in with the Carnival that inspired this?
@Suburbia - yes, but we had our moments :)
@The Rambling Pages - Thank you so much, I will pop over shortly x
@Beadzoid - the early computers were just amazing, I wonder is there a museum for them somewhere yet?
@Nan P. - Yes he's 81...one of the lovely FB ladies christened him 'Super Dad' before he fell ill.
@Kate - I'm so sorry that you lost your Dad, and I'm sure you'll write something really wonderful when you're ready x
What a lovely post. He sounds like a wonderful person. I'm so sorry to hear his health has deteriorated and wish you strength at this time (((xxx)))
ReplyDelete@Petunia - Thank you xxx
ReplyDeleteLovely post - he sounds like a fascinating person.
ReplyDeleteIt's so lovely that you have such a positive relationship with him. I hope to have that with my kids as they grow up. I hope he is not in too much pain with his illness
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic tribute to an obvioulsy wonderful man.
ReplyDeleteWhat a heartfelt post. Lovely to meet you through this. X
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous post. I'm sorry your father is so ill, he sounds like a wonderful person and I loved what you wrote in the last point, we should all live our lives like that xx
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post. I'm sorry your Dad is ill, but it is great that you want your children to remember how he was before illness took over. I treasure the stories my Mum tells me about her parents, and looking at photos of when they were young shows how different they would have been to the person I remember. I think it is difficult to grasp, as a child, the life someone has had before you came along. x
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Live Otherwise - he is x
ReplyDelete@Actually Mummy - I hope it happens for you and your kids too.
@Midlife Single Mum - Thank you.
@Oh Mammy - It's a great way to meet other bloggers isn't it?
@Ella - yes, that last line is important to me too xx
@Wearewildthings - yes I always think it's important to hang on to the memories of people when they were in their prime x
Thank you all for commenting :)