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Pop’s Day

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Sharon

My car was loaded with all my earthly possessions. I was ready to embark on a journey of a lifetime. A journey from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Appleton, Wisconsin, where I would make my post-graduation home. I was driving solo from the southern U.S. to the northern U.S. A several-day trek.

My dad pulled me aside for a brief conversation as I prepared to get behind the wheel and depart. He retrieved from his pocket the credit card depicted in the photo above, and said something like, “Sharon, Whenever you need anything, just use this. Anything.”

Short. To the point. Nothing more. And nothing less. A resounding message of love that summarized in a piece of plastic a father’s unwavering love for his daughter.

That was over fifty years ago. I never used the card. It is long, long, long past valid. Nevertheless, I keep it in a safe place where I see it every day. It has become a visible reminder of my dad’s undying love of this particular daughter and for all his children. 

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Comments

6 responses to “Pop’s Day”

  1. Paul Black

    When it came to such situations, my Dad was a man of few words. And now, this being the 12th Father’s Day since he received his eternal reward, I would give anything to hear such wise counsel. And there are times I catch myself saying similar things to my son. Few words, but the lessons were learned.

    Reply
    1. Sharon

      Well-chosen words, brief, to the point…all that is necessary to connect…and love.

      Reply
  2. Al Wood

    My life’s journey began as my mother gave birth in a hurricane in the Naval Hospital in Corpus Christi Tx. in August 1945?

    Reply
    1. Sharon

      Al, What a wonderful connection! We were born in the same city…and lived in our infancy through the same hurricane!

      Reply
  3. Emily Passino

    It’s a gift to understand that what people may be saying through their actions, through their few or many words.

    Paul’s comment made me remember a time when the organization I worked for began a series of meetings that were intended to engage all 1700 of us who worked in various capacities all over the state. We were the pilot group, quite diverse in age, gender, race, urban/suburban/rural, unformed/civilian… you name it. They didn’t use the words diversity, equity and inclusion- but leadership knew we weren’t always the best in understanding people who had different backgrounds.

    One of the first exercises was to make 3-5 post-it notes with words of wisdom our fathers had imparted to us, and then pass these up to talk about them. Rich stories abounded. I think every single one of us was surprised that no matter where we came from, we had heard pretty much the same things. Or, I should say, gathered the same ideas from watching how our parents lived.

    Sadly the initiative never got beyond the pilot phase.

    Reply
    1. Sharon

      Emily, What a thoughtful, powerful exercise…and what a disappointment it didn’t gain traction. How badly do we need such conversation in these times.

      Reply

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