Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Declarations from Dad


It’s Alphabe-Thursday and today we’re talkin’ about the Delightful letter D? And....

‘Dis Daughter Decided to Draw from Discussions with a Dear Departed Dad

Today would have been my Dad’s 94th birthday. He passed away in 1998, so I won’t have the pleasure of celebrating it with him as I might were he here. Nonetheless, it’s a prefect opportunity to share some thoughts about this wonderful man whose influence I feel in my life Daily. So, here are some “Declarations” from Dad.

Don’t Doubt, Denigrate or Deny the Divine, a.k.a. Devotions Define Decorations... My Dad wasn’t a religious person, at least not in the strict sense of the word. However, he had his beliefs that ran deep and he was true to them.  It being the holiday season, decorations always come to mind for me. As a child growing up in a Jewish family, I often felt slighted because my non-Jewish friends (oh, did I mention? That would be ALL my friends!!) had beautifully decorated homes with lights and Christmas trees and such. When my brothers and I asked why we couldn’t do the same, we were told in no uncertain terms that it made no sense for us to have Christmas decorations since we didn’t celebrate Christmas.  Not even a Hanukkah bush was allowed.

When I moved out and became an independent adult, I went hog wild on Christmas decorations of every kind…but the fascination didn’t last long. Now, having come full circle and having converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, if I do decorate, I pretty much limit it to showing my devotion to the one whose birth we actually do celebrate.



Do things that make a Difference. My Dad didn’t often say “leave this world a better place than you found it.” He didn’t have to; the way he lived his life and expected us to do the same shouted this unspoken Declaration loud and clear.

Some other Declarations from Dad that need no explanation:
Dare to Dream
Don’t Deceive
Drink of life 'cuz it's simply Delicious
Don’t Doubt yourself or your Decisions
Don't Dilly Dally Because Desire along with Doing Drives Destiny and there is a Declining # of Days left in this life...

…and many other things… Happy 94th, Dad. Love and miss you! 


Hop on over to Mrs. Jenny’s place to see what other folks are Doing with that Dastardly D

28 comments:

Susan Anderson said...

He sounds like a pretty neat man. And I absolutely loved this post!

=)

KM said...

How wonderful and what precious little Nativity sets!!
~visiting from Miss Jenny's

Vicki/Jake said...

What a delightful dad you had!

Barbara F. said...

What a great D is for Dad post! He sounds like a very intelligent man, and they don't make men like this anymore :( xo

Annesphamily said...

What a beautiful D post! I really like your post. Thank you for sharing your family with us.

VK said...

Your Dad sounds like a great man of integrity and example. You turned out pretty good, and that is a testament to him for sure.

The Poet said...

Hello.
Your dad sounds like a wise man...just like my own when he too was alive.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories. Thanks too for the visit. I appreciate the comment.

Daydreaming

Leovi said...

Beautiful pictures, nativity figures delicious, very nice.

Naperville Now said...

thanks for your kind words -- and for sharing your dad.

Lola said...

Yes, what a truly delightful dad you had!

Unknown said...

Great post, your dad was a smart fellow. I'm not big on holiday decorations... mostly cause I'm too lazy to deal with them but I do love to look:-) Anyways, yours are too cute!! I love the diversity in them:-)

Inspector Saahab said...

I enjoyed reading this. the message is full of wisdom.

thanks for sharing :)

Francisca said...

Delightful Dad post! He was Decidedly a Discerning man.

[Just to show you what a small world it is, in another lifetime I was the country manager for the US company that buys and distributes those Eddie Walker JOY blocks; I worked with the factory that first made those. ;-) ]

Monika said...

It looks like your dad was one of these wise and good.

Unknown said...

I love your nativity sets! I really enjoyed reading about your dad.

Jeannette StG said...

Wow, that's a lot of D's there at the end! How fortunate you had your dad for so long. He seemed to set an example with his life:)

Gattina said...

My father died the same year, it's sad to say, but he was such a difficult person that it was a relieve when he passed away !
I love the little nativity scene on the last picture. It's so special and cute !

Diane said...

What a perfect D post! Sounds like your dad was a beautiful soul. And that little nativity set is so cute. I love it!

Stacia said...

Sounds like he taught you a lot. I know he's proud!

Pat said...

Your Dad must have been a really together guy...my own Dad is 93 now and each day that he is with us is a gift. I cannot imagine life without him near.

Your post is wonderful and a special tribute. A perfect "D" post!

EG CameraGirl said...

It's great to read a post written by a daughter who truly appreciates her dad! I hope he knew this. :)

Cathy Kennedy said...

What a lovely tribute to your dad! You touched my heart. The lessons your dad passed to you are a beautiful treasures.

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

You Did very well in incorporating the Declarations of your Dad here! Great Declarations inDeed!

Blessings & Aloha!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Your Dad's affirmations are truths we should all remember!

Tracy said...

What a beautiful devoted post also peaked at baby how cute is he.
Thanks for popping by love the idea our moose coulsd be cousins

Cheryl D. said...

What a sweet memorial to your dad!

Steph said...

What a special Dad. I am blessed with one such as well. It sounds like he is very much in your heart and in the way you live life. I can really resonate with "Don't Dilly Dally Because Desire along with Doing Drives Destiny and there is a Declining # of Days left in this life..." But am not very brave or decisive (ie I recognize the truth of it, but don't often take action). Wonderful photos, tribute, and post.

Jenny said...

Your Dad sounds like a truly wonderful man.

I suspect you learned your true heart from him. What a wonderful gift of immortality.

If I was a drinking woman, I'd raise my glass to two men of insight and determination.

Since I'm not, instead I'll simply say...bravo for a delightful link for the letter "D".

A++++++++++++++++++++++++++