Mine were not short on communication.
Hey Bretrick,
Yes. I was very fortunate to have him as a father.
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My dad was a carpenter by trade, although he had rheumatoid arthritis since he was 20 years old. His work was flawless, cut no corners, yet charged minimum hourly prices. He did roofing until he was 50, cabinetry, beautiful results. I did his bookkeeping for years, filed taxes. So I begged him to charge more, but he wouldn’t, hired by college professors the last ten years. Such a hard working,honorable man, never told a lie.
I never heard him complain about his pain, nor much else.
I was blessed to have him as my dad.
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Your dad sounded like someone people would be proud to know and call a friend.
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I didnt know my dad he was never part of my life so no nice stories to tell…my mum was quite a damaged person she tried her best in many ways but she was often mentally ill in hospital and to be honest I have very few nice memories.
If I had to say something I admire about my mother its that both me and my sister were never put into care…have to admit though I’m not sure how we escaped that because from a very young age we were often left for days on our own not knowing where she was…as I said she tried her best I suppose and here I am to tell the tale.
They say history repeats itself…well not in my case because I love being a mum…and my sister became head mistress of the largest Comprehensive school in Leeds…so there you go not everything is doom and gloom…we made it…thanks mum !
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Something happening despite rather than as a result of, is always magnificent.
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I came from a very large family and as we grew mum and dads financial situation changed and dad was unemployed and on the dole . No household support benefits in those days just a dole payment , survival money . 9 mouths to feed . Mum still fed us . Basic but belly busting food , always bread and margarine to mop up the gravy . Dad grew vegetables. Nothing different at Christmas maybe a bigger chicken to roast but no presants or tinsel or sparkles . Because of our mum we grew and survived . She struggled but I didn’t understand until I grew and experienced lifes hardships. I look back and think how mum never knew luxury , always struggle . I get sad when I remember .
I admire my mum for being so brave
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Yep susan_m, seeing the struggles has made it impossible for the next generation to complain.
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My parents brought up two small boys through WW2
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My parents were both very intelligent and could very easily understand my grammar school homework even though Dad left school at 14. They never complained about their lot in life but Dad only did poorly paid rural work so we were pretty poor. Mum stayed at home when us kids were small but as soon as we were all at school she went out cleaning for people and working on school dinners. She would have liked to have been a Home Economics teacher as she had excelled at sewing, cookery, knitting etc but we lived in a very rural area with hardly any buses and no car so that was no good.
They just kept their heads above water so there were no luxuries but they never owed anybody a penny and I admire them for that. My Dad never knew his father and his mother showed no interest in him but I often think if someone had encouraged him to get better educated he would have done really well.
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My Father cornered the market in the early days of TV repairs but, did it for free as a method of Occupational Health, he may have been exploited under current legislation.
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I used to feel sad that my Mum had no luxuries too Susan. I look back at old photos and she always looked lovely but most of her clothes were secondhand apart from cardigans and tops which she knitted herself. She could never afford to buy all the wool at once and I remember being very small and the lady in the shop wrapping the rest in crinkly cellophane and putting it aside with Mum’s name on it.
I made up for it in Mum’s later life. Right up until she died I bought her lovely modern clothes …. She liked the M and S Classic range. I took her to buy new ankle boots when she was about 85 and they were the softest burgundy leather. She said they felt as comfy as slippers. I said “we’ll have them” as they looked perfect. Mum asked how much they were and the girl said £125. Mum was shocked but I reminded her that when we were small she had either cheap shoes or secondhand ones so she deserved them. She loved those little boots so much! People always commented on how smart and fashionable Mum looked.
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I tried to do that for my Mum
She wouldn’t have it .
She had a rotten life was poor unhappy and with terrible health .
It makes me sad when I think of her life .
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Hard work, dedication & calmness in the face of a changing world.
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Their honesty.
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They gave me Bias, not sure if that is good but, done many years in spite of it.
My father was a lovely man. He and my mother got married as soon as WW2 broke out (very common). Sadly he spent most of the war in a POW camp, not everyone was rescued at Dunkirk. After the war he trained as a teacher and taught Maths to non academic children. He helped me when I struggled with it, but I overtook him when I did A level.
The children he taught adored him as did many of his colleagues. He arranged trips for his school to places like Switzerland and Austria and when I was 11 they said I could either have a “big” Christmas present or go with them to Switzerland. No contest! Father said I would remember that trip all my life. I did, I can remember it so well even though it was 60 years ago.
Sadly Dad was only 69 when we lost him, he was a heavy smoker. To this day when I see pictures of Switzerland, their flag, the typical souvenirs such as cow bells and edelweiss or even the word Switzerland a lump comes to my throat and my eyes mist up.
I found an old photo of him recently, I didn’t have many and I cried for a while. Fortunately my husband put an arm round me, he understands how I feel.
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I am sure you were so proud of your Dad on that trip!
I have never been to Switzerland but when I was 14/15 and still at school I worked weekends in a gift shop. A very much older, well heeled, lady worked with me and she regularly went skiing in Switzerland. She brought me back a small Edelweiss brooch one time and I still have it in my jewellery box. Just coming across it when looking for something else brings back good memories.
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Oh yes, I had an Edelweiss brooch. It disappeared long ago in the mists of time. I also remember the Swiss chocolate, you couldn’t get it in the U.K. back then.
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I just hope I have been a lovely parent, and will be remembered accordingly 
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