I finally got around to cleaning out my Dad’s truck today, something I’ve been dreading since he passed last July.
In the South, a man’s truck is one of his prize possessions. Such was the case with my Dad.
I had always blamed by Mom for my pack rat habits but now I realize my Dad had the same tendencies as well.
Along with the expected- umbrellas, flashlights, coins, etc., I found quite a few interesting items.
- A paper road map from 2008. Do they still make them anymore?
- Music collections are always interesting- in addition to a few local gospel singers and a WalMart country hit collection, he had volumes one and two of Roy D. Mercer’s “How big ‘a boy are ya?”
- Due to his health issues toward the end, he had a handheld inhaler, band aids and, of course, lots of masks.
- A key to the boat I had bought him years ago and that his grandsons had learned to water ski behind.
- Receipts and coupons from the many State Parks we had stayed at over the years.
- In his toolbox in the back, along with his prized pocketknife and various tools, was plenty of WD-40 and Duct tape. After all, if those two things couldn’t fix it, it probably wasn’t worth fixing.
But the most interesting thing I found was a small notebook that belonged to my Mom. My Mom passed on June 21, 2008. Along with a yearly list of birthday presents for her grandsons and other family members, she had listed dollar amounts of how much she wanted to give her grandsons when they graduated from high school and college.
And then, just like in a Jackson Browne song, it happened- here come those tears again, just when I was getting over you. On separate pages, from 2001 to 2007 my Mom had made a list of each family member she needed to get a Christmas present for that year. She had a check by each name, I’m sure to indicate that her work was completed.
I miss my Mom every day and, although I’ve spent many Christmases without her, I will especially miss her this Christmas.
This will be the first Christmas I spend without my Dad. The son of a sharecropper, my Dad worked shift work in a Paper Mill. He was my hero and my best friend and it’s because of him, my Mom, and this great country that I have lived the American Dream.
And in our great Creator’s circle of life, it’ll also be the first Christmas Amy and I spend with Catherine Leigh and Mary Emma, our fifth and sixth grandchildren. What a blessing they are! Children are the spirit of Christmas.
During this most joyous time of year, as we in the Christian faith celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are thankful for the memories of past Christmases and rejoice in the memories that we make today.
Thank you for your support and your encouragement.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
