Dad

You have been in heaven longer than you were alive. To think that you had such an impact on your family, your church and your community that we still honor the anniversary of your death, May 4, 1964.

In so many ways I remember my childhood events as before or after you died.

These are my favorite memories:

Hearing you read the Little Red Hen
Listening to you sing Rosalie and Ave Maria
Going to Andersen Pool after dinner
Getting a Mooney's ice cream
Walking in cadence until you did a little shuffle to mess me up
Always having a clean white hankie
Taking us to the fireworks
Every single time getting the red gumball to come out for my penny
Being the first cantor at the Cathedral
Spending so much time working for our school and church
Looking up to see you wringing the neck of Jane Shea Noble 's stuffed toy duck around a corner of a room

To anyone parenting little children right now - the time my Dad spent with me had such an impact on my life. Not money. Time. Read a story, sing a song, go for a walk.

Thank you, Dad.