My father never aspired to greatness, but in the eyes of his wife and sons he made it! He was my hero all my life; fair and true and faithful. He was very proud of his two boys, and taught us virtue not only by his words, but by his actions. Honest and generous to a fault; I never saw him cheat, I never saw him lie, or pass a chance to help someone.In my mindÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s encyclopedia, under the phrase Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?â??Salt Of The EarthÃ?¢ââ??¬Ã?Â, thereÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s a picture of my dad.He loved my mother totally, and carried on a wonderful and genuine love affair with her for 76 years. Imagine that! 76 years!I never met a man who was a harder worker. He felt that hard work was a virtue, and he spent his entire life working for the betterment of his family and friends. Not only at his daily job as a carpenter, but for anyone he could lend a helping hand. How many times he repaired a neighborÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s house, or fixed a fence, or gave away produce from his beloved garden, or a thousand other things, often after a hard day at work! The only pay he would accept was their thanks.He worked long hours but he always found time to be with his family. He took us swimming in the creek. He taught us to ride a bike, to play baseball, to hunt and fish. He taught us how to use tools and to fix things. He took us to church. We went on vacations together as a family. He was a wonderful dad.He loved to work with us boys on any project we got involved in. If we began making or fixing somethingÃ?¢ââ??‰â?¬ÂanythingÃ?¢ââ??‰â?¬Âhe would be there. Night or day, every project included dad, and we had to hustle to keep up with him! His job was mostly physical, and he kept in great shape for almost a whole century. Healthy, strong and fit, his handshake felt like a vise and he could outwork his grown sons with ease.As far as money goes there wasnÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢t much of that, but there was enough. He provided for us very well. He bought us things that he barely could afford. He somehow paid for an education that enhanced the rest of our lives; and IÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢m sure that he occasionally went without to make that happen.Dad didnÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢t worry about getting rich, but he was. He was rich with love for his family. He was rich with the love, respect, and admiration that was returned to him. He was happy and content all his long life. He took our wives into his heart and loved them as his own daughters. He loved children, and he doted on his grand and great-grand kids.DadÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s in Heaven; ThereÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s no doubt about that. And if he can hear me now, I want to say to him that I love him. If he canÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢t hear me now, thatÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s OK. He knows.
