“Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water,
about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.”
Hal Lindsey
Sometimes I catch myself thinking in “Lasts”.
When I can put myself into that frame of mind, the moment becomes richer and memories start flooding in like a slide show across my mind.
I was doing that yesterday when I was thinking about my dad and how today might be the last Father’s Day for us both.
Funny how a mind collects random events and saves them for whenever. Isn’t it?
I remember the day we were out on Buzzards Bay in his Boston Whaler. The four of us kids were treated to a day of fishing and swimming off of Black Beach and were headed home when the fog rolled in.
Within minutes the boat was engulfed and we couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of us.
I recall the silence. There was a fear in it. Four little kids and a man suddenly in the middle of nowhere. listening to the waves lapping against the side of the boat as my dad cut the engine.
I felt dread. How do you get home when you don’t know where you are? Would I ever see my mom again?
I don’t know how my dad felt. But he acted like he’d been in that situation a million times. While we all hunkered down and stared out into the mist, nervously asking him what would become of us, he slowly revved the motor and turned the boat so that the waves would hit the back and right side of the boat.
“You gotta watch for rocks,” he said. “And you gotta find the shore. The shore will lead you home.”
I’d heard of navigating by the stars. But what if you couldn’t see them?
I’d never thought of using dry ground to navigate.
The waves were headed towards the shore, and as we followed them we eventually saw the sandy beach we’d been swimming at earlier in the day. My dad turned the boat in the opposite direction when we were close enough and we headed home. We eased ourselves around the jetty that jutted out from the beach and finally saw the mouth of the harbor.
Home was minutes away.
Never once had my dad lost his cool. He was sure he could find his way in the darkness. He was confident that if we went slow enough it would all work out.
Worry may have lurked below the surface, just like the rocks beneath the waves. But his calm determination to find the shore in the midst of uncertainty was an anchor for four little kids who didn’t have the knowledge or experience he had.
It’s Father’s Day. I want to thank my dad for one of the most profound gifts he ever gave me.
He opened my heart and mind to the principle of hope.
Head for home when the storms roll in.
Watch for rocks ’cause they’re there.
Look for the shore when you feel lost.
One foot in front of the other. One step at a time.
- What lessons did your dad teach you? Did he know that you learned? Have you (did you) ever told him?
Remember 
Aw Betsy! What a wonderful story! I love the lessons you learned that day: “Head for home when the storms roll in, Watch for rocks ’cause they’re there, Look for the shore when you feel lost, One foot in front of the other. One step at a time.” We don’t always realize what we are learning from our parents until we see things in retrospect, do we?
I hope you had a great father’s day with your Dad!
Lori
Hey, Lori!
It was a nice day with him! I’m so grateful to have more time with him. He’s not very good at remembering the kids’ names and ages, but that makes it more fun! I’d actually forgotten about that day on the water until I started writing down a timeline of my memories with my dad. One thing led to another as I sat with that memory, and I ended up with a post!! Seemed a bit sad, but it meant a lot to me that I really had been affected by it all of my life without even realizing it!
Hope you had a good one, too!!
What a wonderful post Betsy. Thanks so much for sharing. Hope is so very important for us all and allows us to have the attitude necessary to make things happen and adjust as we move forward. Not sure which comes first, attitude or hope, but they certainly go hand-in-hand. The quote I do my best to live by is as follows… “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass… it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” 🙂
Ted, I’ve seen that quote attached to pictures on Pinterest and always repin it! Probably because I used to dance. I’m learning how to live that way better every day. My dad was the master of his emotions when I was little (don’t know if that was a reflection of his attitude about life or being emotionally unavailable. My sense is he is an optimist at heart). He still says things like, “Everything will be okay.” So simple. But I’m gaining a lot of strength as I reflect on his wisdom! Thanks for coming by, Ted!
What a wonderful story, Betsy, and to have a father who gave you so much! Love your opening quote by Hal Lindsey. Hope carries us through life!
It will always amaze me, Barbara, that my dad won’t believe me when I tell him what a great dad he was / is. He listens to his self-talk instead. He gave me so much. He considers himself a failure. Maybe most parents are really hard on themselves? I know I am. I’ve learned that it’s who we are that is the gift. And what a gift my dad is to me!
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He sounds like my mother! She listens to her self-talk as well and only thinks what she could have done differently (read: better). Like your dad she gave all to us children, my father died when I was eight and she was a young widow of 34. Times were different then and a single parent, especially a female, was stigmatized. She never remarried and did a wonderful job bringing us up and seeing that we did not lack in anything.
Hi my first visit. Lovely tribute to your Dad.Its never too late to add a quote ~
“The Greatest Gift I Ever Had,
Came From God;
I call Him Dad!” ~ Anon
Thank you and best wishes
Thank you! I visited your blog, too, and really loved the little story that you recently posted. What wonderful parents those children must have to be so considerate of each other’s happiness!! That made my day!
“Thanks, Dad. You Taught Me to Hope Remember” was indeed actually
pleasurable and useful! Within the present day society that is very difficult to deliver.
I am grateful, Willa