1988
Father's Day
Spring arrived moving into summer, Anne finished 9th grade, Julie was working on her bachelor’s at UCF, and I was working at Paravant. Come Father’s day Anne got me a card, always somewhat of an awkward thing for I was her stepfather and not her “blood” father as she would call him, but she always got me a “Father’s Day” card, usually with the card saying “Dad” instead of “Father”. Sometime in the year past she had received a letter from her real father who she hadn’t seen since Julie and Anne moved to Florida. Her father had contacted Julie and asked if he could come by and see Anne, Julie didn’t object and said it was up to Anne who said it was okay, and I didn’t have any problem with it. Just before Father’s day he and his new wife stopped by and spent an hour or so visiting. Julie met him at the door and showed him in and introduced him to me. It was a little awkward, I shook his hand and then retreated to my study while they sat in the living room. The single thing I remember most about the visit was how much Anne looked like him. Anne did not look anything like her mother, and often when people met the three of us the remarked how much she looked like me but from that visit I knew it was her father who she who resembled the most.
Well anyway, I was in a Father’s day mood this Father’s Day and decided to write a personal Father’s day card to Dad, something I had never done before nor since. I wanted to let him know I thought of him. The next time went to Gainesville to visit, Dad said to me, “I got your card.”, and then got misty in his eyes and said, “I remember too.”
After Dad died, my brother and I were going through a box of cards and letters that Mom had saved and found my original card above. Dad wrote June 1988 at the bottom.
About the things I remembered
Fishing at Plantation Lake May 1959
Swimming at the Ranchette 1968
Updated: 09-24-2023