This Moment {See Beautiful}: My Grandpa

Today's This Moment, See Beautiful is written entirely by Mom in honor of her Dad.  
Take it away Mom

This Sunday will be my first Father's Day in 59 years without my Daddy

Brad Paisley's is one of my favorite country singers.  
About 8 years ago he and a friend co wrote

The Dad He Didn't Have to Be

  It is a true story about Brad's friend
marrying a single mom with a son.  It is also mine story.
My biological father died when I was 2 so I never knew him.

Below I'll share my favorite lines from the song.

"When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview
My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone
Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run
I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go
A few months later, I remember lying there in bed
I overheard him pop the question and I prayed that she'd say yes
And then, all of a sudden, oh it seemed so strange to me
How we went from something's missing to a family
Looking back, all I can say about all the things he did for me"

Nope he didn't run he embraced me as his own

Picture taken in 1954 shortly after my parents were married.

He taught me how to dance  (my 13th b-day party)
He shared his love of music and song with me.
Such as Beans, beans the beautiful fruit the more you eat the more you toot!!
I grew up listening to the Big Band Music and I still love it.

HE WAS TRULY THE DAD HE DID NOT HAVE TO BE

HE CHOSE TO BE MY DAD.

He was funny, loved to tell jokes (some over and over).

He played a mean golf game, he loved to be out doors.

He loved the Atlanta Braves

He loved animals, in his younger days he rode horses.

He love my corn bread and my potato salad in fact he was a very appreciative diner. 

At the end of a meal I would ask if he enjoyed it.  

He replied, with a twinkle in his eyes, 

 it was all right.  

He was born during hard times

His education was cut short because he

went to work early in life to help his family.

He said he was educated in the the school of hard knocks.

He worked with his Dad in the electrical business.

He was a quick learner and soon became a foreman.

Eventually he owned his own electrical and lighting business.

He taught me to count.  When he was bidding on jobs , often I accompanied him on job sites

  In order to keep me from asking too many questions, he gave me a job....counting receptacles.

He loved his girls, Mama, me and my daughter.

Shortly after my daughter was born in 1971, his morning routine changed.

Instead of going straight to work he would come by my house...to see 

his new granddaughter.  I think he came by to make sure she was still alive after all

I was only 23 and what did I know?  By the time he arrived she was down for her 

morning nap......he would say I just want to peep in...lo and behold he and his

size 12 steel toed work boots would somehow manage to kick the crib waking up a delighted baby.

When she was a toddler, he started lunch dates.  They always ended up with a new Barbie.  Once he put a tape recorder under his seat just before a lunch date.

Oh the conversation they had was truly adorable. When he played the tape back,

she told him he didn't ask her if he could tape her.  That nearly made him pass out with laughter.

She was and is spunky and he liked that.

My daughter called him Papa. They had a very special bond.

Daddy was a loving caregiver to my mom when she became disabled.

As he aged, being his daughter was sometimes hard. It was hard for him to step out of the roll as always taking care of people  to letting me take care of him.  He was his own man,

he was stubborn, independent and never wanted to be viewed as weak.

WHICH IS WHAT MADE HIM THE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAN HE WAS

Trying to get him to slow down was not an option, as Frank Sinatra sang

HE DID IT HIS WAY

THIS AND EVERY MOMENT WITH HIM I SAW BEAUTIFUL 

 I KNEW HE LOVED ME AND HE KNEW I LOVED HIM.

 I THANK HIM FOR CHOOSING ME TO BE 

HIS DAUGHTER.

W.H.C

September 4, 1929-April 22, 2013

TODAY IS THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY
OF THIS MOMENT, SEE BEAUTIFUL
I THANK SUGAR FOR BEING SUCH A GRACIOUS 
HOSTESS.
There will also be a giveaway over at Sugar's
1) The Soul of the Dog: (your) Dog's Eye Painting by Sheila Wedegis
2) See Beautiful bracelet
Details of the giveaway is on our blog.

From Sugar the Golden Retriever: "{This Moment} See Beautiful is a once a month Blog Hop,every 2nd Friday of the month. Simply create a blog post that made your day,week, and/or month … inspiring you in Seeing Beauty.Blog Hop inspired by See Beautiful." Please be respectful of this blog hop. Only add your blog if your post is related to {This Moment} See Beautiful 6/14/13 {This Moment} See Beautiful Blog 1st Anniversary Hop