#WQW....Theme: Fathers Day/Juneteenth


It's another week of  Writer's Quotes Wednesday, hosted by Marsha from Always Write. If you're interested in joining, you can find more about #WQW here.

This weeks theme is Fathers Day/Juneteenth. I will admit I hadn't really. heard of Juneteenth until the last year or so. In my defense, sometimes I just don't pay attention to some things...it's not that I'm not aware or don't care. With that being said...I have tried to be more intentional in learning what others have and do go through because of skin color, disability, etc. 

Awhile back I read a book called A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation. I bought it after stumbling across a FB post that led me to a series of YouTube videos that were done by 3 people, Wayne Jacobsen, Arnita Willis Taylor and one other person I can't remember. Then I read a book called, The Book of Lost Friends. I wanted to be aware, not clueless because of (according to many),  my "white privilege". Which I honestly don't like the term. But let's not get into debates on these topics...I'm just saying that no matter what the situation, I want to be aware of what I might have missed in my understanding before. 




I thought that was a very powerful quote. We often forget that we belong to each other..Our stories and lives daily intertwine. We can't leave one another out. 

Now let's get on to Fathers. My dad loved us girls (my sister and I), but sometimes struggled to show or say it. He was a great provider, but we'll just say we grew up often feeling like nothing we did was good enough. We moved to the west coast when I was in the 4th grade because my dad had a drinking problem and my mom gave him an ultimatum....your drinking or us. He chose us....life wasn't perfect but I think it got better. All that is water under the bridge. We're grown adults and what we chose to do with all of that is what matters now. I'll only speak for myself and not my sister, but I chose to take what he had to offer relationally. While much of the negative stuff sown into my life through his words stuck with me in the areas of lack of confidence, etc..I did choose to rise above, and know my value. I also had a mom who was amazing. They have both passed away, my dad just last year. I worked to forgive him years ago, to know that he was who he was, and so I was able to enjoy a relationship with him even if we often didn't see eye to eye. Fathers Day cards were hard to find because they really didn't fit, so I usually opted for funny ones. In the last several years, we talked almost daily on the phone. He loved his grandkids and great grandkids. When he passed, I felt good about where our relationship was at. 


What a great quote. I felt like this was my dad...In later years, we'd have conversations about different things, but in younger, harder years, this quote was much more fitting.

On my wedding day! 

Doing one of the things he loved most....fishing.

With great grandson Indy just before they moved to Texas. Thankfully they moved back and he was able to see him a few more times. He never got to meet Pepper though. 



My hubby is an amazing dad to our girls...no dad is perfect, obviously, but he loved being a girl dad and still does to this day! He'd do just about anything for them. He loves his grandkids too. 









I also hit the jackpot with Father in Laws. My in-laws are the best. 







My inlaws have always been a part of everything we've done, so supportive of our girls in sports. They love watching the great grands.....for short periods of time. They love sharing their lives. My Father in law loves being asked to help with things..little handyman things. 


My son in law is also an amazing dad to his two little ones. 











With Joy Unquenchable,
Kirstin

Comments

  1. Lovely to get to know you better and better, Kirstin. My father and I weren't great either. Today Vince and I talked at lunch about the legacies our fathers left us. It was amazing how many things we found to be thankful about in both of them. Many times I wanted to trade my dad in on someone else's dad, but looking back, I was pretty blessed to have the one I did. Thanks for sharing these wonderful quotes and life experiences. I love the picture of your husband and daughter walking together. They look so much alike. :)

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  2. It's great that you got to repair and resolve a lot of history so that you could be happy with your relationship when he died. It's a hard thing to do. It's not our father's day yet, and we don't celebrate Juneteenth here (in Australia) so I've linked up with a story on my dad. Not specifically on father's Day. Delete if inappropriate.

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