Dad's Hands - Belated Father's Day Tribute

I am a hand person; that is one of the first things that I notice about people - their hands.  I notice the shape of their hands, fingers, and nails.  I cannot help it.  I have noticed people's hands for as long as I could remember. 

My dad had great hands.  In one of my favorite pictures of Dad and Jacob, all you can see of my dad is his hands.  It was taken at my cousins' (yes plural, they are identical twins) high school graduation open house.  I love this picture because does it not only feature 2 of my 3 favorite guys, but Jacob's expression is showing a glimpse of the opinionated person that we have all come to know and love.  And it shows the closeness that Dad and Jacob had between them.  Dad loved his family, but when Jacob was born he became the sun and the moon in my dad's world.  They naturally gravitated towards each other and Jacob could never do any wrong.  I wish I had a nickel for everytime my dad would tell me, "He's fine, Jen.", when I thought Jacob was doing something he shouldn't.  Jacob's face is dirty, but his hands are grasping Grandpa's fingers. 

My dad's hands were always neat and clean.  I cannot remember him having any dirt on them or underneath his nails.  His nails were always neatly trimmed, though he did have a habit of chewing them every once in a while.  A habit that Jacob has also picked up from his dad. 

I miss my dad's hands.  I miss how he would raise one high in the air in a fist when he was excited, how he held cards when he played euchere, and how they felt when they patted our shoulders.  The only jewelry Dad wore was his wedding ring and masonic ring and without them his hands looked naked.  They seemed to be permanently tanned from numerous summers spent mowing they yard. 

The chorus from the song "Daddy's Hands" describes my dad's hands perfectly:

                     Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'
                     Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I done wrong.
                    Daddy's hands weren't always gentle
                    But I've come to understand ,
                   There was always love in Daddy's hands.

So happy belated Father's Day, Dad.  I know you are looking down on us and smiling.  All I ask is that you always keep Jacob safe in your hands as he grows up and experiences all that life has to offer. 

Happy Memorial Day and Rhut Rho Shaggy!

I would like to thank all of the service men and women that have served our country and sacrificed family, health, and life to keep our country safe.  Our family is proud to have had six such individuals.  My father-in-law (Bob) was a proud veteran of the Navy and served in WWII, my father served in peace time in the Air Force and spent time defending the DMZ in South Korea, my brother-in-law served honorably in the Coast Guard defending our waters, my brother-in-law, Ray, served during the Vietnam war as a proud member of the Air Force, my cousin Cheri also served honorably in the Air Force, and last but not least, my neice's husband, Matt, is in his 20th year of service in the Army as a recruiter.  And I am sure that I am forgetting some others.  We are proud of all of them.  My small family of three started a tradition in 2007 of honoring my dad's and Bob's memory with flowers on their graves.  It hit me hard this year that Bob will have been gone from us for 5 years this July and my dad will have been gone 3 years this August.  So much has happened with our family in the space of that time, but I believe that they have been with us every step of the way  gentling guiding us, providing encouragement, and celebrating the good times and the bad with us.  I miss them both, but know in my heart that they are with us always. 

And enough with the maudlin.  It would not be a holiday without an injury, now would it?  Jeff works very hard to take care of my parents' yard and our yard every summer.   I help Jeff on the weekends when he mows the 3 lots and my parents' yard.  Jacob always goes out with us and rides around on his 4 wheeler and basically terrorizes his grandmother and aunt.  Today, my Uncle Jim from Elkhart drove down to pick up some furniture that we had hauled away from my cousins' house on the campus of Miami University of Ohio on Mother's Day weekend.  The plan was to go in to Lafayette and have lunch and Jacob was excited until we went to get the booster seat out of my dad's car.  Two of his fingers accidentally got shut into the door of the car.  After wailing, tears, some ice, TLC from Mom, and a Scooby Doo movie later (Thank you Cartoon Network), he was fine.  No bones appear to be broken (Thank Goodness - his fingers must be moldable like mine according to Grandma), but he may lose the nail on the tall finger.  So hopefully that is our injury for this holiday.  Hope your holiday has been safe and injury free.  But if not, Scooby Doo can cure anything - at least according to Jacob.