Today would have marked my dad's 78th birthday. He died about 18 months ago, so I've had time to think about gifts he gave. First, the gift of reading. Dad was a reader. Growing up in the small town of Midville, he read every book in the library before he was a teenager. And in the home I grew up in, there were newspapers scattered everywhere, along with magazines and library books. It was impossible not to read, and to enjoy reading, in his house. Second, the piano. Dad got it into his head that the grandkids should have the opportunity to learn to play the piano. So my siblings and I each received some money to put toward a piano. That gift didn't take with every grandkid, but it took with some. Third, church. Growing up, our family mostly went to church--which is remarkable in that we moved a lot and while good churches abound, it takes time and patience to find one that fits. A fact I squirreled away from somewhere is that children are more likely to attend church as adults if their father attended with them when they were children. Fourth, pets. While Mom loves cats, Dad was the one that said yes to raccoons, horses and dogs. Don't know that Mom was happy about that. And fifth, education. Both of my parents believed in college and made sure all three of us went. In recent years, Dad tutored at the local high school and, along with my mother, established a scholarship to be sure kids in a poor rural county could continue their education. He gave a lot more gifts and for his giving, I am grateful. Few things in life are as special as having a dad. I certainly had a good one.
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