Fathers Day

Tomorrow is Fathers Day when we spoil, acknowledge and honour our dads.

I was very blessed to grow up in a home with a dad and a mom.  My dad worked for Eskom for many years and so our life was very stable and secure.  I had a very happy childhood and many conversations were held around the family dinner table. 

My dad loves gardening.  When we were children, come weekends, he would mow the lawn and gather us girls to help when this task was being done.  We either had to rake or hold the dustbin bag open for him to empty the grass cuttings into from grass catcher.  We would often perch ourselves up on the big rock in the garden and loose sight of what we were supposed to do or play with Sheba our Border Collie while waiting to be summoned.  :-) I think my love for gardening developed at a very young age as I spent many hours in the garden either alone or with my dad.  We were often asked to water the garden.  I know how important it is now, I’ll come home from work to find my poor plants bedraggled from thirst!

Holidaying was always much fun for us as a family as it was then that my dad really got to relax and be himself.  He loved going for early morning walks on holiday and generally I would always go walking with him.  I was an early riser then.  Most of our walks were on the Natal coast, Clansthal and then Amanzimtoti when my parents purchased a holiday flat there.  I remember the early morning smells of the Frangipani flowers, seeing big snails and just enjoying the holiday and change of scenery.  I remember one year there had been a flood in Natal and a lot of debris had washed up on the beach at Amanzimtoti.  My dad has an eye to turn something out of nothing.  We collected the most amazing driftwood and carried this lot up to the holiday flat.  I remember laughing so much from the weight of the wood that both my dad and myself had to put it down to stop laughing.  When we arrived back at the flat with all this driftwood, my mom would give us a look and say something like “Ag no, what you going to do with all that wood”.  My dad had plans for lamp stands, garden features etc.  It was fun.  Just this past holiday I brought some interesting pieces of driftwood home for my garden!!

My dad has always been very active in the garden and would always end up slaving away in my garden when coming to visit.  I can just hear my mom “dear, be careful your back”!  Thanks dad for all the hard work you put into my different gardens.  Thank you for all the plants you have dug out of your garden on your hands and knees for me to bring home to my garden.  I remember you climbing onto a rooftop of a building at our house in Felixton.  Mommy just shaking her head in disbelief.  We had fun in St Lucia and Mapelane. 

It would be impossible to sum up a lifetime of incredible memories and the wonderful precious times we have spent together.  I look forward to all the special times we can still spend together.  Dad, you have taught me invaluable life lessons from your life and poured a wealth of knowledge about different things into my life.  You have encouraged time with God and made a special effort to find me a devotional book like the one you have been reading as it touched your life in such a special way.  You’re the best dad ever, you always looking out for things that support our interests and end up going more than the extra mile to do so much for your daughters. 

It is said that children are a blessing from God, but I know for certain that Dads are too, especially mine.

I love you Dad and pray God richest blessing on you and in your life today and the years to come!!

Kisses and hugs

Janine