Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: fathers (06/06/05)
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TITLE: My Four Fathers | Previous Challenge Entry
By WENDY DECKER
06/10/05 -
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It’s been a long time since we’ve seen or spoken to one another. I’ll be leaving this world a bit sooner than I expected so I thought I should leave you a note and share what’s happened in my life.
I’ve had three more fathers since we’ve been together. They’ve all been very different from one another. I’ll tell you a little about them. At the time, I thought the first one was terribly mean. He expected me to follow many rules. He expected my homework to be finished before I left the house to play, and he also expected me to be home before the street lights turned on.
Never forced to follow rules before, I wasn’t very good at it. He didn’t even allow me to spend time with boys, unless he or Mom sat close by. He also forced me to attend his family functions. And if I skipped school, he punished me. Can you imagine! You never did any of those things, Daddy.
After awhile he became tired of me ignoring his rules. Mom became tired of making excuses for me ignoring his rules and became angry with me too. I decided to make everyone happy and run away from home. I didn’t get very far. He made sure I was found, but he decided to ask Mom and me to find a new place to live after that.
I was glad things could return to normal again. But not long after, my second father came along. He had an even bigger house and I had a beautiful, big bedroom. He didn’t mind at all what I did or where I went. It was great! We only spent time together during holidays, which he mostly spent sitting in a chair drinking from a glass that made my eyes water and his nose red.
However, he too had a few rules he expected me to follow. I didn’t like his rules much either. He preferred I stayed in my bedroom when he came home from work. He also preferred I didn’t use the shower in the bathroom, but he gave me my very own bathroom to use. Although, instead of being appreciative I complained.
“Don’t complain," my mother said. "It’s just a few feet outside. You’ll only be cold for a minute.”
It didn’t bother me too much in the summer, except for the bugs. However, in the winter I snuck inside when he left for work to use the shower. He always managed to find out, which made him angry.
Mom even had a difficult time adhering to his rules. She’d never been much for cooking and cleaning, but she tried real hard. After awhile she became weary and ill in her mind and couldn’t keep everything the way he liked it. Not long after that, Mom and I returned home to find out that our house key no longer fit in the door knob. Thank God for Grandma!
Finally, I met my last father, who believe it or not, is really my first father. He knew me even before you did. He expected more from me than all of my fathers. However, He gave me more than any of them. Also, he never judged me for all the bad things I’d done, and he loved me very much. More than anyone, ever!
He even forgave when I disappointed Him. The best thing of all, Daddy, is that no matter what I do or where I go He promised He’ll never leave me. He even gave me a book with instructions to help me follow his rules. I’ve learned many new things and because of Him I’ve been able to teach others what I’ve learned. It’s the best book I’ve ever read. One of the things I read in the book is something I find rather ironic. It says, “The first will be last and the last shall be first.” That’s exactly what happened with you and Him.
Even though you’ve been last on my list to contact for quite some time, I’m not mad at you anymore, Daddy. I’m not even sad. If I knew where you were I’d give you one of those books my new father gave me. However, since I don’t, I’ll put one in my drawer for you with this letter and pray you’ll find it one day. Even better, I’ll pray that one day you’ll too meet my new father and we can all be a family together.
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Blessings, Lynda