A Step in the Write Direction--June 16, 2014--Father's Day

A Step in the Write Direction

June 16, 2014

Update: Home from Arizona and trying to get caught up on emails and proofreading and editing jobs. As much as I enjoyed being with my daughter and family, as Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.” Now I have the revised version of A Step in the Write Direction to proofread. I wanted to print it out first but, unfortunately, my 5-year-old printer quit working over the weekend, so the first errand tomorrow morning will be at Staples. Here’s hoping all your fathers and husbands had a great Father’s Day today!

Thought for the Day: My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You’re tearing up the grass."  "We’re not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We’re raising boys."  (Harmon Killebrew, former baseball player).

Song for the Day:

Faith of our fathers, living still

In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword!

Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy

Whene’er we hear that glorious word!

Faith of our fathers! holy faith!

We will be true to thee till death!

            —Frederick W. Faber, 1814–1863

Laugh for the Day: The expectant father was a little on the broke side, so he took his wife to the pizza palace to have her baby because he heard it had free delivery.

Writer’s Tips: For Father’s Day

Singing with Our Dad

                                       In days gone by we'd gather 'round

The piano we once had,

We'd sing the songs we children liked,

Then up would speak our dad:

"Sing this one song," he used to say,

"I sang it as a lad."

He'd hum a bit of a favorite song,

And we'd sing it for our dad:

            Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,

            That sav'd a wretch like me!

            I once was lost, but now am found,

            Was blind, but now I see.

The years passed by; we moved away,

Then a call came on the phone,

"Your dad is sick," and once again

We gathered at our home.

"Please sing for me," his voice was weak,

"The words I do not know,

But let me hear you sing again

As you did so long ago."

            Precious mem'ries, how they linger,

            How they ever flood my soul,

            In the stillness of the midnight,

            Precious, sacred scenes unfold.

A year went by, then one more call,

"Your dad won't last the night."

We caught the plane, but he was gone

'Ere we could end our flight.

But though he's gone, those words he said,

I still can dimly hear,

"Please sing for me, just one more time,"

This song I love so dear":

            When I get to the end of the way,

            I will rest at the close of the day,

            And the toils of the road will seem nothing,

            When I get to the end of the way.

Yes, now he's gone, but one glad day,

We'll meet him on that shore,

Our family all will gather 'round,

And we shall part no more.

We'll laugh and cry and reminisce

Of memories we once had,

And then, for all eternity,

We'll sit and sing with Dad.

            Will the circle be unbroken

            By and by, Lord, by and by,

            In a better home awaiting

            In the sky, Lord, in the sky.

Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com