For over 25 years my Dad walked to work. It wasn’t too far. He counted 186 footsteps from door to door.
Every day he carried his work bucket with his thermos of coffee and his lunch. The bucket is black and pretty worn out. It has a Navy sticker, a couple of American Flag stickers and a few other stickers. The handle must have broken because it has been replaced with a homemade wire handle.
My mom packed his lunch and hardly a day was missed in all those years. I wonder what she made. Faint memories recall sandwiches made with meatloaf, bologna or peanut butter. I wonder if she snuck in little love notes or his favorite snacks.
When I was a little girl, I would frequently walk my Dad home from work. My Mom would tell me when it was close to 4 p.m., his quitting time. I would run up the street then down the big hill to the garage where they parked the big power trucks. I would wait and wait outside that garage door.
When the big door would start to go up, I would get so excited because I knew my Daddy was on the other side. He would give me a big hug and I would take his work bucket to carry home for him. Once home, I would open it up, hoping to find an extra pack of Planter peanuts.
Many years later, when visiting family, I asked Dad if he still had his old bucket. Of course, he did. I told him I would love to have it when he was ready to part with it.
Before I left to fly home, Dad surprised me and gave me his bucket. I carried it on the plane in a shopping bag not wanting to risk losing this valuable item from my Daddy.
I made an arrangement in the bucket with daisies, brass butterflies and a bird nest with eggs. I proudly have it displayed on my kitchen window seat.
(I wrote this up several years ago and my sister framed it, along with the picture, and gave to our Dad.)
I hope you have fond memories of your daddy. But if not, I know of a Father who loves us more than any earthly father. His name is Abba.
Abba is Aramaic that means Daddy. Jesus addressed God as Abba Father in the New Testament.
He wants to adopt us and give us an inheritance. Galatians 4:6-7
He is waiting for us to accept His love.
