CONSIDERING CHARACTER: REMEMBERING DADDY!

Clifton Thacker Adams. Daddy. The kindest man I ever knew!

Dance w/ Daddy my 45th class reunion

• A faithful husband. 
• My dancing Daddy. I learned to dance standing on his feet & looking up to him. He taught me not to look at my feet because that could cause me to stumble. A biblical analogy I adhere to even today, knowing not to look down on my circumstances (or I might lose my way/footing) but to look up and focus on the face of my dance partner, my heavenly Father, who will lead me.
• A loyal friend. Daddy would always fill-up at Rudy's Texaco even if it had the highest prices in town because Rudy was his friend. It helped that the attendants pumped the gas because Daddy never pumped his own gas.

• A man of courage who fought for his country in WWII & was wounded in the isle of Leyte in the Philippines, though he rarely talked about it. 
• A man with a great work ethic, regardless of the pay. His first job paid $19 a week. Daddy worked until September 2010, retiring at age 87.
• A man of consistency. His methodical routine defined him. We all knew his schedule. Post off ice at 10 am. At 11am he would be "walking for exercise" (at the mall in his later years) at 3 pm he would be standing on the porch of Hopkinsville Livestock waiting for the school bus to drive by so that he could wave at his granddaughters, Polly & Allyson, and at 9 pm he would be peeling his nightly orange. On Sundays he would be at the First Methodist Church sitting in the pew---back row of front center section on  right hand side.
• A man of few words. A wise man. A man of understanding. Did he know his character reflected scripture? A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. (Proverbs 17:27)

• A quiet, gentle man. I never heard him raise his voice.

• A "gentleman" as well. In his final weeks, he wore a monitor so that he wouldn't stand alone and lose his balance. In the dining room the monitor alarm sounded constantly as Daddy stood every time a lady came to his table.

Daddy died 7 years ago today.

My older brother, Buddy said it well in this morning's text.

"Daddy never said anything bad about anyone and no one said anything bad about him."

His character is etched on my heart. My hope is that the next generations, his grandchildren  and "great grands" will consider the character of their Grandaddy Brud and emulate it as they remember him.

Disclaimer---I am my brother's favorite sister, I just happen to be his only sister.

RIGHT NEIGHBORLY

Pansy Pot. A neighborly gift.
The best part is my "green thumb" neighbor's understanding of my deficiency in this area.
Master Gardener extraordinaire. She believes in "helping," not shaming, the less inclined.
So....when the temps were due to drop, I got a text that it would be okay to take them in out of the elements, even hard rains. When the deadheading was needed, I received the info on the best place for pinching. Now that's a good neighbor.
Pansies for the Patio. A right neighborly gift for sure.

Growing up in a small town, Daddy had a way of recognizing those on our block who were "right neighborly." In fact, he's the originator of the term for me. Christine and Pappy, who love me as a grand daughter, were "RIGHT NEIGHBORLY in all caps! (Galatians 5:14)
Daddy also spoke of "old" Dr. Dade being "right neighborly." I suppose sometimes it's more difficult for the elderly to be "right neighborly" when a 6 year old girl picks, without permission, their beautiful King Alfred daffodils because she wanted to give them to her mother who had always admired them. Being said little girl, I was required by Daddy to "march" right over to the Dades' home and apologize, that was more than the neighborly thing to do, it was the right thing to do. (Exodus 20:5)

Dragging my feet, literally, and pleading "right" motives was not an acceptable excuse.
I marched. (Matthew 19:19)

Dr. Dade accepted my apology and said the right thing to do would be to let him know when I needed flowers for my mother and he would help me choose the right ones from his yard. (Romans 13:8)

That was above and beyond being right neighborly!

CHOOSE: TO REMEMBER

The preacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time to be born and a time to die. (3:2)

Certainly it seems easier to celebrate births (neighbor, baby Ford---or impending births (Emily and Nathan’s first child due this month as well as Norman and Linda’s grandbaby, Lilly B, due in May) and years of birthdays (Almeda, 101 & Lilly, 88) than to go into houses of mourning. But funerals have outnumbered births these last 6 weeks.

In the last 5 days, two friends have buried their husbands.

The week prior, I attended visitations for daughter of one friend and mother of another friend, both of whom I had worked with in education at Shelby County. 

A few weeks before that I mourned with a family, from my hometown, who had come to Memphis for their “Debbie’s” funeral. Not only were we all from Hopkinsville, but the Drurys were former neighbors who had lived around the corner from me on Virginia St. first on Moreland Dr. and then Jimmy and Greta lived on Alumni Moreland. 

Just a few days days before, I had attended the funeral for a dad of a former student from Southwind Elementary. 

Plus, two encouragers of mine, Carolyn O. from AR and Carolyn F. from MS both “lost” their sister and sister-in-law, respectively.

But God......in His love and mercy (Ephesians 2:4) reminded me to remember. Remember the good times and be grateful that they had chosen to believe.  A lot of grieving and yet much to remember with thankful hearts. 

For most it was a relief from physical suffering and a hope for a better life in the Presence of the Lord. So much earthly loss but so much heavenly gain.

Without that, the times of remembering would be difficult. But.....because of their faith choices, my choice to remember was one of celebration!

CHOOSE: HOMETOWN FUN, FROLICKING AND FOOD

Fun, frolicking and food in one's hometown---encompasses familiar places as well as brand new spots. 

Place of longest totality for viewing the solar eclipse was none other than Hopkinsville, KY, aka Hoptown by the residents.

A peek at the old home place---2211 So. Virginia. I puddled.

Virginia Street cousins

Ferrell's---a must stop for anyone for a good ole greasy burger.

A stop at Riverside Cemetery---more puddling, to pay respects to "The Adams Family!" You can see Mother and Daddy's graves between the columns. Pappy & Christine Young, our across the street neighbor for 50+ years, plots are still just across from the family.

Then it was on to Kelly, just north of Hopkinsville, location of the "little green men" landing place on August 21, 1955. Ah-h-h how the legend has grown.

Leaving town via 9th street we got a sackful of delicious Whistle Stop Donuts and waved good-by to the Eclipseville.

So grateful for the time to share with family and to "drive" down memory lane. How easy to give thanks when one's heart is overflowing with praise and gratitude. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Old Rugged Cross

The "Old Rugged Cross"...doesn't seem so far away today. Maybe, because of time spent in His Presence.

"Rugged Cross"---made by N. Bozard, a Kentucky artisan sold in Hopkinsville, my hometown, and given by a good friend---a cherished gift to cling to as I study God's word.

The Dance

FYI--Ambien kept me asleep til 3:50---so many questions and decisions but I truly am not dismayed---Psa. 27: one of last verses says "I would have despaired had I not seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Yesterday I was physically surrounded by God's goodness through my "praying buds" and family (even though far away). This morning the Lord and I have been discussing the next step in my dance of life---Do you know the old hymn, "Lord of the Dance"? It was in the hymnal of First Methodist Church in Hoptown.

Not sure where we're going for surgery---wherever God leads--- though my heart desires Dallas---Buddy's devout Christian doc friend has given some good advice and thinks Dallas will be okay. He's still checking. He's tops in field of reconstruction (just not my kind) and he could be our eyes and ears and son, Buddy and Day live just north of Dallas in Allen, TX and could offer a pillow and support for Larry.

for blog---excerpt from prayer journal (comment from Norman M.)

1/20/09

G (God) U AND I DANCE (Guidance) (for all my "non-dancing denomination" friends, forgive me)

I am asking God to guide me through this dance that has come up on my dance of life song card--I don't know this dance and I'm asking Him to teach me the steps. In Hoptown, during my high school days and at the Sub Deb dances, we would have a "no-break" card. You had your card signed by those whom you wanted uninterrupted dance time with---no one was allowed to "cut in/break in---you know, the old tap on the shoulder move---your eyes were for that partner alone. So today I'm asking God to to be my partner and to allow only the best (docs, medicine, counselors) to break-in and join me in this new song, composed by the Lord of the Dance---for my eyes are on Him alone.

I am a dancer ("bopper") and it's the desire of my heart to dance through this new song, hand in hand with the Lord, my true partner, as He teaches me step-by-step whether it's a waltz that moves slow and easy or a tango or jerk with some unexpected bumps. This is a new dance for me but I have a great teacher, The "Lord of the Dance" and the hope of my heart is that I can dance at Halle and Kyle's wedding on April 4.