One of the best parts about
packing is coming across objects or photos I had forgotten we owned. The irony
for today’s ‘find’ is that the photo of Joe and Megan has been on my dresser
for 25 years and I stopped really seeing it until I was packing today – moving it
countless times to dust and giving it a passing glance.
The photo was taken in 1998
at a father-daughter dance. Megan was six years old, and Joe was forty-eight. Megan
created the one-of-a-kind popsicle stick and button frame with the photo as a
gift for Joe for Christmas that year. This morning I texted the photo to Megan,
and she told me she remembers this dance with her dad. And now here she is with
her very own seven-year-old, Charlotte and almost nine-year-old, Caleb. I know
Charlotte, Caleb, Jeremy, and Megan are creating their own favorite family memories.
I showed the picture to Joe
as he needs the reminder that he WAS present in our children’s lives. He
sometimes forgets and laments how he could have been a better father. I get to
then remind him of how all three call him when they need help as adults and
that he was very much present in their childhood lives.
He is the best dad I had
ever met prior to our marriage, and he affirmed his status during our marriage.
He wasn’t always the most popular dad as he expected them to do their homework,
brush their teeth. help with chores, treat people kindly, share, and a litany
of other ‘unreasonable’ demands a caring parent would make of their children.
Joe took the kids to the
creek almost every weekend, weather permitting, where they would explore the
creek banks, small puddles of trapped minnows, and check out dead animal
carcasses. Neighbor children and our dog (Simba) often tagged along with the
Coehlo crew as well. They came home muddy (usually) and happy (always) from
their explorations. This all occurred pre-cell phone days, so we didn’t take
pictures. Our kids still talk fondly of Cache Creek adventures.
We also went camping, My
favorite camping story is when we took off – no reservations – to go to the
South Warner Wilderness in July. Open campsites were available for tent camping
at Mill Creek Falls. Mill Creek Falls has 19 single family campsites. We would
hike along part of the lake nearby, climb rocks, look at waterfalls, We went for
five years in a row. Nate stopped going after a few years because he was a teenager
and had other interests that kept him closer to home. The girls loved it though.
They often called it their playground.
Trips to the jetty at Doran
State Park (Bodega Bay) were another favorite. I would sit on the beach while
they rolled up their pant legs and explored the tide pools for the better part
of a day. All as happy as they could be.
Not that we had to travel
for quality dad time. For two or three years, Joe let the girls dig a big hole
in the side yard which they would fill with water and play in. Mud play seemed
to be highly rated in our family.
We had more art supplies
than most stores, until Michael’s came to town (our kiddoes were grown by
then). A typical at home day would be the girls in dad’s old shirts, a plastic tablecloth
on the table, and art supplies including clay and watercolors laid out for them
to create to their hearts’ content.
And if art wasn’t enough play,
there would be something to take apart – old television sets were a favorite.
Reading, a lot of reading, was
happening in this house. We liked to sit around when the children were small
and take turns reading Shel Silverstein poems aloud. Sometimes the children
would pick their favorites to read and other times we’d just randomly read in
order with the first person picking the poem they wanted to read until everyone
had multiple turns.
Joe read to the children
quite a bit. Mostly they would let him read to them until he fell asleep. On
more than one occasion they would finish the book themselves. Even after both
could read, his reading to them was a nightly ritual.
Wow! So here we are twenty-five
years later, packing to move to Minnesota and one small, sweet photo sends me hurtling
down memory lane.
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