A Parent’s Delight

To wish her son a Happy Father’s Day, my friend Betty posted (on Facebook) a picture of him and his daughter. After describing Jeff as “the best father a child could have,” Betty concluded the message by saying, “We love you,” something she and her husband had surely said many times to Jeff.

I commented immediately, saying, “What a thrill to see Jeff and his daughter!!! I’m so happy he’s such a wonderful dad—but I am not the least bit surprised that he is. I wouldn’t have expected him to be otherwise. Please tell him hello for me and that I am so proud of him.”

I haven’t seen Jeff since he became an adult, but I remember how he delighted me when he was one of my third grade students. He never gave me one minute’s trouble. He was diligent, well-behaved, always prepared, polite, kind…Thus, I was not at all surprised to hear he was a wonderful dad. 

As I thought about Jeff and his proud parents, I recalled what the Bible says about a son (or daughter!) who turns out well.

The father of a righteous man has great joy; 

he who has a wise son delights in him. 

May your father and mother be glad; 

may she who gave you birth rejoice.

~Proverbs 23:24-25, NIV.

Memories

Our memories of the ocean will linger on,

long after our footprints in the sand are gone.

~Anonymous

After reading the above quote, I felt led to add these words:

Likewise, our memories of loved ones linger on,

long, long after they from this life have gone.

Then, I recalled these words, found in Proverbs 10:7:

The memory of the righteous is a blessing....

Those words reminded me of a song I've loved for years:

Precious mem'ries, how they linger,

How they ever flood my soul.

In the stillness of the midnight,

Sacred scenes unfold.

J. B. F. Wright, 1925