How many remembered holding their dad’s hand?

My dad’s hands were rough to the touch. The reason was because he was a hard working man who refused to wear hand lotion or even washed up. He would even say that men real men don’t wear hand lotions.

How many was spanked as a child?

My mother would say, ” swat them on the ass because there’s cushion.”

You could read quite a story in the callous’ and lines, years of work and worry had left their mark behind. I remember daddy’s hands working ’til they bled, sacrificed unselfishly just to keep us all fed. There was always love in daddy’s hands.

For some reason, my dad hated taking a bath, and he even smelled like it too. His body odor would linger in the house even after he passed away.

My dad was a hard man, who never showed his emotions except maybe his anger. When my mother would tell us kids to go give your dad a kiss goodnight, he would just shrugged it off. He wasn’t much for giving hugs and kisses. He believed that real men hide their feelings and boys don’t cry.

Maybe this is why, I wasn’t able to get married, even when I have had a few girlfriends. I couldn’t expressed my feelings and be passionate with them.

I do remembered getting whisker rubs from him though, and it didn’t feels good.

There was a time after my folks were married and came to pick me up at the babysitter. I ran outside to the car and trip on the sidewalk. I got up and inside the car, and my mother told me that I asked, “Kiss my hurts, daddy?”

He taught me how to tie my shoes, zip my jacket and even ride a bike. He carried me upstairs to my cousin’s bedroom while we were on vacation out West to Washington State; while I was sick. There was even a time as a teenager, when I was on one tractor and he was on the other, pulling that tractor back up to the farm to be worked on. He taught me how to fish and let the boat out off the road instead of the public loading dock. He taught me so much but when it came to expressing his love for his children, we were treated the same. He was cold and heartless. My mother had the feelings rather than him.

Yet, I do remembered him caring for his oldest grandchildren very much. They were the apple in his eyes. He took his oldest granddaughter for a ride and bought her black licorice. Her grandmother had her all dressed up very nice to go somewhere when they came back home, and she had it all over herself. Her grandmother was very upset with him.

When his only grandson was a baby, he adored him and bounced him on his lap. He was proud of him when he got his first deer when he became a teenager. So it hurt him, when his grandson took the shovel without asking.

When he talked, we better listen or else feels his wrath.

How many have received the back of their father’s hands?

Because of his anger issues, when it came to discipling us kids, he would goes overboard to the point of abuse.

Kids today are not discipline like we were growing up. Parents don’t dare discipline their children because they could be charge with child abuse.

This is why young people doesn’t respect their elders, because they are not disciplined like we were growing up. I’m not advocating beating a child. I’m just saying that a child needs to be disciplined once in a while. Raised them up right and they will become a respectable adult.

Daddy’s hands can either be soft or rough depending on the type of man he is.

Have you ever held your dad’s hands before he passed away?

My dad wasn’t much of a hugger and kisser but he would gladly take your hands to shake it. He believed that men shouldn’t hug men.

I will never forget my daddy’s hands, how big they were compared to my small child’s hands, as a young child.

Today is Father’s Day, if you can take your father or dad’s hands into yours. Cherish the memories of holding daddy’s hands.