Going clockwise from the top right photo: Daddy with my boys David and Kenny (1999), Daddy holding his first great grandson, Easton (2014), Daddy and Momma with Easton (2014), Daddy and Momma's 50th anniversary portrait (2005), Daddy, Momma and me (1962), Daddy's picture from the Army (c.1952), Daddy's high school gradution picture (c.1951), Daddy at the lake taking a nap with Bryan (c.1999-2000), Daddy with Walker (2011) and in the middle Daddy, Momma and me for my high school graduation (1980).
Like many adoptees, I have two father's. That however is where the story stops for my birth father. You see, he never knew I existed having left my birth mother before she herself found out.
Daddy and the Rocking Chair
My Dad is the best Dad in the whole world! Yes, I am a Daddy's girl and big time too! Some of my earliest memories of my Dad and me are in the old rocking chair we had watching The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I would get up after Mom went to bed (most nights she went to bed early) and sit in his lap while he read and watched (or maybe listened to) the Tonight Show. I do remember that at the time it was still in black and white, or it seemed that way because our tv was still black and white. I think we got our first color television in 1975.
Daddy and Math Homework
My Dad is my hero and he should be after all the time he spent helping me with my math though it is not the only thing that makes him my hero. Math does not come easy to me, even now. So every night we sat at the kitchen/dining room table to do my math homework. I could memorize the multiplcation tables and even the answers to small addition problems but after that it was all down hill from there. A typical math night went something like this, "Daddy: Ok, Dawn you have 5 apples and 4 oranges, how many do you have? Me: You have 5 apples and 4 oranges. Daddy: No, Fuzzy, you have 9. Me: No you don't, there are only 5 apples and 4 oranges, how does that equal 9? Daddy: (shaking his head), ok Fuzzy lets try this again." Even in midle and high school Dad had to help me with algebra and geometry.
Daddy and Catholicism
I remember when my Dad converted to Catholicism. We were at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Miramar, Florida back then. I remember that my grandmother, Peggy Rich Hammond was there with us kids in the baby/children's room which was sound proof (at least it seemed that way) while Dad my was Baptised, made his First Communion and received Confirmation. I remember being very proud of my Dad that day. Though I am not sure that I understood everything going on because I think I was around 4 or 5 years old at the time.
Daddy and NCR
My Dad worked for NCR and in the beginning he fixed cash register's. I remember that he had the heaviest (as a small girl) "briefcase" which was actually a toolbox to fix all those cash registers. I remember twice where we moved to Dayton, Ohio when Dad was going there for training. We only went to Dayton as a family when Dad had to be there for long periods of time. The first time I was in the first grade and the second time I was in the sixth grade. We used to go to Carillon Park and Bell Tower too. Then in 1975 my Dad accepted a promotion with NCR and we moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. I wasn't a happy camper about the move but what 13 year old would be? However I survived making new friends and keeping my old friends too.
Daddy
These are just a few of my memories of my Dad and me. He is a great Dad and an even better grandfather, just ask his children and grandchildren! While he has gotten older, this year he turned 80, he has changed much through out the years he still looks the same. I turned gray way, way before he did and only in the last several years has he turned really gray.
We may not have the same DNA running through our veins but there is no doubt that you are the only Dad I could ever need or want.
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