Tidbits of Time with Daddy: Lessons from the Newspapers Margins

   My fondest memories of my Daddy are probably the lessons he taught me. Some were big ones, and some were simply ones he taught me from my own trial and error while some were just little things that he probably did not even know I was learning from. He taught me to care, to look for the unexpected and not to fear anything. As I was learning to read, I remember wanting to read with Dad. It never had to be a child's book. I was interested in reading whatever my Daddy was reading whether it be a western, a history book or even a newspaper I wanted to share time with Daddy.

     Some morning, I would get up early just to spend time with Daddy. I would find him in his chair reading the newspaper and I would want to read a piece too. The paper had these little space fillers in them. It was just a little brief tidbit a comment or short story that filled the gap of missing space between other stories. I guess with today's computer technology these little fill in spaces may not exist. But during these days Dad and I would make these little tidbits a sort of game we would each read our pages searching to find the fill ins and discuss them. Sometimes the fill in might have contained something important sometimes trivia related while sometimes we would laugh because they were rather unimportant things just kind of stuck in to fill space. One day while laughing over one of these needless comments that really probably would have been just better to have seen the empty space Daddy said something to the effect of "These tidbits are a good example be sure you fill your life with important things and don't just stick in something to save wasted space"

    That was my Father's Legacy he was probably the hardest working, strong, caring and sharing man I ever knew. He worked a full-time job, volunteered in the community, enjoyed the outdoors and kept so busy that I guarantee he filled his days with important things. In 1999 while doing some family history I asked my Daddy to answer a few interview questions. I gave him the questions and he wrote out the answers. One of those questions was to name five life lessons he had learned that he thought were most valuable to share. I end this story of a Father's Legacy with my Daddy's answer to that question.

1. Be honest stick to your word always

2. Pay your bills and stand on your own two feet

3. Help wherever needed and look for those who won't ask

4. Have no fear. If you are going through a new or trying experience just buck up to it and give it your best.

5. Value your family and friends they are more important than wealth.