THE FOLLOWING I WROTE THIS MORNING AS A COMMENT TO PILAR'S WONDERFUL POST ABOUT HER DAD. MY COMMENT BECAME LONGER AND LONGER, SO I DECIDED TO SHARE MY DAD WITH YOU, DEAR STREAMER FRIENDS.

My dad had a lot of bitterness inside of him, but I think I'll fast forward to the last 15 years of his life instead, to happier times.

Dad loved to work with his hands. He had an extraordinary IQ and he made some awesome puzzles and unique things out of wood. I always wanted to work with wood, so one day I asked him, I was already an adult with hubby and a child, if I could try using the band saw. He asked what did I have in mind? I decided I wanted to make something to hang on my son's bedroom wall. I drew out a marching soldier with a hat like the ones worn by the Queen's guards. He showed me how to cut it and did tell me how to be careful. Dad had a couple of missing fingertips when he became distracted years before. The soldier was the beginning and I have loved working with wood ever since.

The most important beginning that day was a new relationship that developed between my dad and I. Whenever I would visit them, he would whisk me away into the garage to show me whatever he was working on at the time. I have three younger brothers, but I was the one who loved what he loved.

We also found another thing in common, the interest in our family tree. We would sit for hours while he told me stories. I had planned to try to have a long visit during the summer to record all of the stories he shared, but like so many things, I put it on the back burner and then he was gone.

While he was in the hospital, I visited with him because my mom and brothers didn't stay very long because they don't like hospitals and my two older sisters live out of state. I will cherish those hours, just me and Daddy. He was lucid some of the time.

He had a little red pickup truck and oh how he loved that truck. He told me when he got out of the hospital, he and I would load up the back with camping gear and go on a cross country trip to visit the grave sites of family and visit all the places where our ancestors had walked and lived before us. I knew we would never be able to make the trip because we knew he was dying, but he didn't.

(A YEAR AFTER HIS DEATH, MY HUSBAND, MY MOM AND I DID TAKE A TRIP TO THE PLACE OF MY DAD'S BIRTH AND MY BIRTH IN OREGON. WE ALSO VISITED WITH FAMILY IN WASHINGTON. THE TRIP WAS UNFORGETTABLE AND OF COURSE, ALTHOUGH MY DAD WASN'T PHYSICALLY WITH US, I FELT HIS PRESENCE ON ANOTHER LEVEL)

Father's Day, being tomorrow, is a time to celebrate our DADS! I am so fortunate to have had known my dad in a different way than any of my siblings had known him. To me that is such a loss for them and such a blessing for me.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL!

Karen

IT IS SO SAD WHEN A YOUNG PERSON PASSES BEFORE THEY EVEN GET A CHANCE TO REALLY KNOW WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT. KEVIN WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS WHEN HE WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HE WAS ONE OF OUR SPECIAL KIDS WHERE LEARNING WAS A STRUGGLE FOR HIM. HE WAS INDEED A SPECIAL YOUNG MAN. HE WILL TRULY BE MISSED. Karen

He was only twenty-two
When he died
June 8, 2006
ACCIDENT they say!
NEGLIGENCE they say!
INEXPERIENCE they say!
Which "They" are right?
Maybe all.
Doesn't really matter
Through a grieving mother's tears
Through a father's breaking heart
Through sibling's emptiness
Through a wife's loneliness
Through a teacher's disbelief
Kevin is no longer
A part of our earthly realm.
His unborn child
Will never know
His father's love
His father's dreams
His father's strength
His father's humor
His father's courage
His FATHER!
He was only eighty
When he died
June 8, 1997
My father
A stranger?
A friend?
A giver?
A taker?
One day he was here
Within a month he was not
Sickness took him quickly
Was that a blessing?
I'm not sure
Why?
Too much to say
Too little time.
Student
Father
June 8th
A remembrance
Young
Old
Accident
Natural.
Does it really matter?
They are both no more
Memories are left
Good
Bad
In between
A date to remember
A date to mourn.

I RECEIVED THIS IN MY E-MAIL. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE, BUT IT SURE BRINGS THE FRUSTRATIONS HOME!

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6 a.m.

While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG).

He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes ( MADE IN KOREA).

After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today.

After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA ) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) filled it with GAS from Saudi Arabia and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (Made In Malaysia), Joe decided to relax for a while.

He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in.AMERICA......

My daughter Amy wrote this on her blog and I was so moved by it, I asked her if I could post it here and share it with my Stream friends. To us Charlie is a little miracle. Amy has a blood condition that may have been the cause of her having two miscarriages before she successfully carried Charlie to full term.
After Amy's second miscarriage, the day after Christmas at our house in 2004, Amy's identical twin ,April, was in tears. She said that the saddest thing would be if this world would never have a combination of Amy and her husband Andy in it.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY AMY'S WORDS ABOUT HER DARLING CHARLIE!

AM I GOD'S CHARLIE?

The biggest thing that's struck me since becoming Charlie's mom is the type and depth of love that I have for such a little, helpless person. It's deeper and more raw than anything I've ever felt. I think it's something even greater than love, something that hasn't been named because it's impossible to describe it in words.

My heart leaps at his smile, even at 2:00 am. At times I feel like I just won the Nobel Prize and his laugh is my reward. When he found his feet for the first time, finally slept through the night, had a great day at daycare, I feel pride like I've never felt.

I'm fiercely protective of him, like I would literally (not just hypothetically) give my life to save his. When he cries and needs to be held my heart breaks for him, and all I want to do is fix it as soon as possible because the thought of him being lonely, in pain, or sad is more than I can stand.

I wonder if I'm God's Charlie. Does His heart leap when I smile? Does He have overwhelming pride when I follow His plan for my life? Does His heart break when I'm hurting? I think the answer to all of these questions in "yes." I don't always acknowledge it though.

I wonder if God feels sad when we go through our "launching stage." Does He watch us test and cross the boundaries, knowing that we'll get hurt but at the same time knowing that it's something we just sometimes have to go through? Does He long for the time when we'd crawl up in his lap and let Him rock us and make everything better? I bet He does. Most of the time I think I'm too big and grown up for that relationship. I think I don't need Him to hold my hand as I cross the street and kiss my head while He tucks me in at night. I bet it makes Him sad. I long to return to that innocence when I trusted His arms to comfort and guide me.

I know there will be a day when Charlie will squirm to get out of my arms and he won't be calmed anymore by a good round of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "The Wheels on the Bus." I know he'll try to run into the street without me even though a car is coming. He'll look for joy and comfort in friends, roommates, girlfriends, instead of finding it in me. I know that time will be here before I know it and I dread it. It's just what we go through though--it's a part of life and growing up.

I think God knows that about us. I think like I'll be waiting for that call, that email, that card from Charlie, God's waiting for that prayer from me. He wants to know what I need, want, feel. He knows that I think I can do it on my own, but He also knows that it will pass and I'm going to need His arms around me again. He's anxiously waiting...

Mom will be 81
on the 22nd of June
she called me tonight
to let me know that
my nephew is getting married
AGAIN!
and is going to be a father
AGAIN!
this will be his third marriage
AND
his third child.
Mom is as sharp as a tack
much sharper and healthier
than the rest of us!
I have been trying
to figure out
WHY?
So I have been thinking
and thinking and
THINKING!
The only explanation is
our family needs her!
Yup,
she is our own
NEWSCASTER!
She is better
than all the greats
rolled up into
ONE!!
There are 6 kids
in our family
17 grandchildren
17 great-grandchildren
1 great on the way
1 great-great on the way.
It's almost like a whole village
to keep tabs on
and there is one thing
MOM loves
and that is
FAMILY NEWS!
So she has
RIGHTFULLY earned the title
TELEMOM!!!
Of course as soon as she hears
some news
she's on the
TELEPHONE!
I try my very best
to have something
to tell her
about our crew
so she can
dial up the others
to her heart's content!
She doesn't interfere
with anyone
or tries to tell
any of us
what to do!
She just loves to
BROADCAST!
It is really great actually
because there are no secrets
in our families.
Mom makes sure of that
but don't get me wrong
she keeps secrets as well
when asked to.
SO TONIGHT I SALUTE MY MOM!
She called at 9:00
to tell me the news.
I JUST WONDER IF MY
UNCLE GOT HIS CALL
BECAUSE HE LIVES IN
FLORIDA!!!!
My Mom has become a JEWEL
in her latter years!

Well now that I have made myself cry, I had better get to bed because I can't see the keyboard very well and I didn't realize how good I'm getting at knowing where the keys are!!!

KAREN, THE BIG BABY WISHING HER MOM WAS HERE SO SHE COULD GIVE HER A BIG HUG.