Father’s Day Memories
Exodus 20:12: “Honour your father and mother that you may have a long, good life in the land your God has given you.”
In today’s Chronicle Herald, thanks to The Associated Press and Editor John Rogers, I read that Father’s Day was founded by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd. She wanted to honour her father, and all fathers everywhere, and so campaigned to have a day designated to do so. The first day in celebration of fathers was Sunday, June 18th, 2017. This year, 2017, is the 107th year celebrating Father’s Day.
When I remember my own father, I recall that he was born in 1892 into a large family of 7 boys and 4 girls. In those days, many people were farmers and didn’t have much money. Also, in those days and in most families, finishing school was not as important as there was a need for extra income, so my father also left school before finishing his education. I recall that his first job was working in the woods, and the first $5 he made he gave to his father to buy a bag of flour to help feed his large family.
I have other memories about my father working in the woods, on the railroad and highway. One time, I remember, when he was working in the woods he came home in a lot of pain with a double hernia. It was about the only time I ever saw my father cry. He was in so much pain he couldn’t untie his rubbers. My brother and I got down on the floor and untied them for him. My father went to the VG Hospital in Halifax for one month. We had no way of travelling such a distance so he was there for the whole month and we never got to see him. In all his years, this was the only time he was ever in the hospital, and while he was there, my older brother, who was 16 at the time, ran the farm.
Something else that came to my mind about my father – he always shaved on Wednesday and Sunday with an old fashioned straight razor. Only a few who are reading this will remember what I am referring to. It was a long blade with a handle which you could fold up when not in use. It was so easy to cut yourself. He would be shaving at the kitchen sink, the only place in those days to wash or shave. There was no bathroom. We never heard of one in those days.
On Sunday when we came home from church – father did not go with us – he would be having his Sunday shave, with the radio tuned to the Charlottetown station, listening to Dr. Charles Fuller from Long Beach, California. He loved hearing them sing the old familiar hymns. One I still remember and love to sing is “Meet Me There”.
MEET ME THERE
On the happy, golden shore where the faithful part no more,
When the storms of life are o’er, meet me there;
Where the night dissolves away into pure and perfect day,
I am going home to stay, meet me there.
Chorus:
Meet me there, meet me there,
Where the tree of life is blooming, meet me there;
When the storms of life are o’er,
On the happy, golden shore,
Where the faithful part no more,
Meet me there.
This Sunday, let us remember to honour our fathers who have given so much to us. Many have sacrificed a lot to give us what we have today. For many of us, father has passed on but, for those whose father is still living, don’t let the day pass without showing him how much you appreciate him.
For those of you who do not have an earthly father, for whatever reason, you still have a Heavenly Father who loves and cares for you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Just look to Him today for whatever your need is.
Rev. Leslie Jobb