My April A to Z Blogging Challenge theme is "My Daddy's Words."
Wanting to have in writing as much of his autobiography as I could, I gave him a copy of the book you see pictured here,
A Father's Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words.
That was back on Christmas Day of 1999, and I asked him to return it to me, filled out, on Christmas Day, 2000. He did. This book is one of my most treasured possessions. At the top of each page is a question--a writing prompt of sorts--and Daddy answered each one as well as he could in the space provided.
I may also include a poem or two that he penned. He liked to do that for people on special occasions.
My dad is now 79 years old, still in good health and humor, still my hero. I have his permission to share these parts of his story.
Did you attend church as a young boy? What are your earliest memories of church?
Since daddy was a preacher, I had no choice about attending church. My earliest memories were of the churches--Free Will Baptist--that daddy served, in northern Missouri. I remember the cars--Model T's, Whippets, and the Model A's. Some of the parishioners came to church in their buggies. The rural churches always maintained facilities for tying the horses.
On one occasion a well-known radio preacher named Hitchcock flew in from Springfield, Missouri, in his Piper Cub. He landed in a pasture opposite the church. He gave our family our first airplane ride--in about 1940. He preached but, of course, I don't remember the sermons--only the airplane.
5 comments:
What a treasure! I wish I'd been able to hear more of my father's stories before he passed in 2003.
My brother-in-law used to be a missionary pilot for MAF and I remember (with great trembling) the time he took my parents and me on a short flight in a Piper Cub. You feel every bump!
Laurel
Laurel's Leaves
How awesome that you have such a treasure! My Dad wrote his biography in 2008 and had it published. It is my treasure. Glad you decided to participate in the A-Z challenge.
So amazing. To have this from your dad. And to have him still to cherish. I did something similar with my dad only I wrote him a letter with the one question each month and he wrote back with the answer.
That was sweet that your dad actually completed his "assignment" and returned the book to you! What a wonderful gift. What a great memory you shared of his today with the airplane; that had to make an impression on someone having their first airplane ride!
Good luck with the rest of the challenge!
betty
It was terrific that your father returned his book. I gave my parents similar books and they are still blank several years later :(
I can quite understand your father remembering the aeroplane and not the sermon :)
Regards
Anne from Australia
ayfamilyhistory.blogspot.com
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