50+ Lifestyles

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

By Eloise Graham

Memories of Father’s Day – What Are They?

During the merry month of May, I spent a lot of time reminiscing about Mother’s Days of my past. As a little girl, I remember the homemade corsages we wore. My sister and I had red tulips pinned to our dresses. My mother wore a pink or white tulip with sprigs of bridal veil spirea attached to the flower. I also remember making, in Sunday School, little containers with marigold seedlings as presents for our mothers. I remember one Mother’s Day when I was probably in Junior High, my brother and his wife sent an orchid corsage to Mom. It was her first Mother’s Day corsage that had come from a florist. She was so very happy. The Mother’s Day corsage doesn’t seem as important any more.

Then I reminisced about my Mother’s Days as a young mom. My children made homemade cards for me, got me flowers and candy (I am pretty sure the candy was my husband’s idea and was more for them than for me.) They would fix breakfast or a brunch for me. However, I did most of the clean-up! But one particular Mother’s Day does stick out. We had some acreage, out buildings and chicken coop. Jim killed and cleaned a couple of chickens, then cooked them on the grill. The kids made salads and vegetables from the garden. They did it all themselves and cleaned up afterwards. So I was truly pampered that day.

Now, I often am honored with Mother’s Day Brunch. My children and grandchildren (who all live in Wisconsin) and I have had brunches at numerous places from Central Wisconsin to Dubuque, Iowa. They always make me feel special.

But what about Father’s Day? What memories does that day hold? I really couldn’t think of anything special. As a young child, I know my mom baked a cherry pie for my dad, but that was for his birthday which was February 21. For Father’s Day, I am pretty sure there may have been black jelly beans and root beer floats involved, but that’s about it. Those were my dad’s favorites. My mother disliked both, so it would have been special to have those to honor him.

What about my husband when our children were little? I drew a blank at memories. We probably asked him what he would like to do, so I am sure boating would have been involved. He, too, liked black licorice and root beer floats so there might have been an over abundance of those treats on his special day. I asked my son if he could remember anything special that had been done to celebrate his dad. He talked about Sunday afternoon drives on the back roads in the country. He would allow one child to sit on his lap and steer the car. Later we would end up at a little ice cream shop out in the middle of nowhere and get ice cream cones. Blue Moon was the choice flavor. But I am sure we did that more than just once during the summer, so it wouldn’t have been a special treat just for Father’s Day. There would have been gifts – the coffee mugs or T-shirts that said “World’s #1 Dad” or other statements of adoration.

When the children were grown and away from home I am sure Jim and I went boating. He loved the water and his boat. Boating was often a Sunday afternoon adventure so it would not have been just a Father’s Day treat. Over the years our children always remembered and sent cards. Some were mushy, some were humorous, some had personal notes, some had pictures of the grandkids, but all told him he was loved. He kept and treasured every one of them.

Those are my memories of Father’s Day.