Happy Father's Day Dad!

Memories flood my mind this morning, as I think back on 43 years that you have been my Dad.
Risking the danger of becoming all sappy, I'm going to reminisce and share some of them with you.... to give you some sort of an insight as to how much you mean to me, to our family.

When I was a kid, maybe 10 or 11, I remember hearing about a second or third cousin of mine, who's dad died..... I think his name was Ron Darker ... Aunt Mildred's son-in-law..... Though I didn't know his kids all that well, they were my age and we were friends. I remember hearing mom say : "Well, they'd spent a normal day together as a family, and sometime during the night Saturday night, he died in his sleep"
It shook me up something fierce, because I knew that it could have been MY dad.... because WE had spent a normal day together.....

for years after that, literally years, every Saturday night I would lie in my bed and in desperation, try to think of SOMETHING that was out of the ordinary that we'd done on that Saturday, so that I wouldn't have to worry about losing you.... I remember still doing that some Saturday nights when I was in college.....

As I have pondered that in the years since, it has helped me realize how important you are to my life... and how much we as a family depend on your strength.

I still marvel at how much energy you have. I have told lots of people that my dad is now semi retired.... instead of going to work at 7, he goes in at 8:30!! I don't think in the 7 years I worked there, that I was EVER in before 8:30 ..... I must have been semi retired, at the time!!

They say that the older we get, the more we become like our parents.... though that used to scare me, it doesn't any more.... in fact, I find myself quoting you all the time. You have taught me a lot of neat little phrases, most of which I won't remember now when I try to write them, cause that is just the way my mind works...! anyway, here are a few of them that I have heard you use:

[1] Busy as a one armed paper hanger with a 7 year itch

[2] Usesless as teats on a steer

[3] When somebody asked you one day how you were doing, you said : " Everbody I can, and the good ones twice!"

[4] Get the hay in while the sun is shining

[5] When Taylor asked about having a friend come to help him work with you once, you quoted Grampie : one boy good, two boys half good, three boys NO good!!

[6] Spending money like a drunken sailor ( I'd rather not say which of us 3 kids you were referring to at the time!! )

[7] a fool and his money are soon parted ( refer to brackets above! )

[8] Madder than a pet coon

[9] When I ran out of gas once, you said ( and continue to say ) " It's just as easy to fill the TOP half of the tank as it is to fill the Bottom half!"

I know there are more that I should be remembering... but those are the ones that come to mind today!


Some special memories that I have growing up....

I remember how much you pampered mom.... Christmas gifts, her birthday, mothers day, valentines day... you always seemed to go the extra mile for Mom.... I learned a lot from that, not the least of which is how important mom was to you!

I remember playing hockey in the yard together in Randboro...... for what ever reason, one particular night we were both taking shots at my old net.... and with a hard puck instead of the normal orange hockey ball. You took a shot, and smashed the left mirror on your car!
It seems much funnier now, than it did at the time!!

I remember going with you in Grampies truck lots of times, to pick up stuff for the store; some of it was used furniture for the bargain barn out back, and sometimes it was to the wholesalers to buy groceries for the store. When I was little, I hated the thought of missing out on those trips.

One particular time we were at an auction, and you bought 3 little tables for $30. Two were really nice solid wood tables, and other was an old rickety green wicker table that was really trashy. I remember looking at you in disbelief, asking how you could spend $10 on THAT table..... you said to me... I don't look at it that way.... I look at it THIS way.....
$15 for each of the two nice tables, and $0 for the old one!
I never forgot that lesson in math.

Some of my most cherished memories as a kid, are from the saturdays when you would take me to an auction when you used to clerk for Art Bennet. Some of those memories are as clear today as if it had happened yesterday! If I shut my eyes, I can hear you holler when you would spot a bid that Art missed, and you wanted him to know! " YEAH... YEAH.... YEAH"

Some of the things I really admire about you:

You have a very strong distinction between right and wrong. I admire that you have a very small gray area in your life.

I admire your work ethic... you work harder now, than most people have ever worked.

I admire how you keep house... I've felt inadequate about my vacuum skills for most of my life, thanks to you!

I admire your generosity... I don't ever remember coming to visit your house, but what you would ask for my keys and take the car and fill it with gas. Thank you for that!

I admire your reputation in the business world. I remember how tight things were when we first came to Ontario. I remember Doug whathisname at the licence bureau, ( when you first got Ontario plates ) saying he wondered if you'd ever be able to make it in Belleville, cause of how big McDougalls were.... I still remember your response : the bigger they are, the easier it is to steal business from them! I admire how much service you have given your clients for all these years.
I also want to point out that Doug Whatshisname is a pretty good friend of yours today!

I admire how you take care of your vehicles..... again, we're back to vacuuming..... regardless, your cars are ALWAYS tidy, clean, and full of fuel!

I admire how fair you have been with us kids. You have not ever showed favouritism to any of us kids.... or to the grand children.

I love the fact that in the first year of her life, Eva was most comfortable on YOUR shoulder.... living proof of how strong and comforting your shoulders are to all of us!
















I appreciate how many times you've bailed me out of a difficult jam. Remember the time that i went car shopping on my own foolishly? and ended up with the guy keeping MY ownership, and trying to convince me I'd bought an Olds Cutlass? I had to go back the next morning with you , to get my ownership back.... I don't even want to SAY how old I was at the time! I sure appreciated your strenght then!

I appreciate all the times you've put money in my account when it was a tight month for us. You will never know how much that has helped and how God used you to feed my children.

I admire how God continues to use you, to disciple new believers... Your faith is as strong today as it was the day you first trusted Christ.

I admire your name... your have a reputation that is spotless. I have for all of my life been proud to say I'm Dave Mackay's Son.

I love you Dad, and I want you to know that my life today is what it is because of the things you have taught me, the way you have helped me, and the example that you have set.

I only pray that I can pass of a fraction to my kids, of what you have given me!

Happy Fathers Day!