Sunday, September 30, 2012

Photo-A-Day: September

"There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself." --John Gregory Brown

Kenneth
Oct.15, 1922--Sept. 25, 2012
Words. We speak them. We write them. Sometimes we weave them like gold threads, and the resulting cloth is a very special thing. This happened at my father's funeral a few days ago.

His death was not unexpected, but a blow none-the-less. Tears mixed with all those things a family must attend to--packing for the trip, gathering photos for a memorial dvd, funeral arrangements themselves, calls and contacts, sorting through necessary forms, sleepless nights.

But then threads emerged. Offers to help. Food trays. Flowers. A hairdresser who wouldn't take payment for doing my  mom's hair. Reunions. Reconciliations. Hugs. Kindnesses. Comforts. Oh, and words.

People began to speak of my dad. Words of memories. Words of respect. Words of love. He endured tough times and the past few years were especially difficult. But those days are now in the past and what threads did people remember most? That he loved his family. That he and his faithful wife were married 66 years. That he could light up on even the worst days at the mention of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And that he warmly accepted those woven into the family by marriages of their own. Truly a cloth that felt like love itself.

Golden threads seemed to run through September's photo-a-day challenge as well, images of beauty, comfort, and specialness as this daughter kept her camera close once again for another month. Along the way she cherished good memories and held close to her heart words her father once spoke to her.

Here's a peek then at September's gallery...
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9 comments:

  1. Such lovely photos. Reminders that gold threads lace our every day.

    My dad died over two years ago, and there were so many words shared with me that are still gold threads lining my pockets.

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  2. I am so sorry for your loss, Kenda. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your family. I know what you mean when you say it's expected but still difficult. My Mom's passing was that way. Your tribute is lovely. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

    Sending love and hugs,
    Karen

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  3. Thanks, Barbara and Karen. So nice to hear from you. Appreciate your kind words... :-)

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  4. I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Kenda. The tribute to your father was wonderful. Beautiful as your pictures are, I believe your words are many times more powerful. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but sometimes a picture can never express what words can.

    Thanks for sharing your September pictures as well.

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  5. What a beautiful testimony to your dad's character!

    ~Debbie

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  6. What a poignant post~ my condolences, and I'm so sorry in reading this a bit late. Thank you for sharing with us something of your father. My thoughts are with you!

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  7. With thanks back to you, Cathy, Debbie and Jess--writing is such a special blessing. Good for telling stories, of course, but also a means of comfort in itself... :-)

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  8. What a powerful and beautiful post! Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
    Love from us.

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  9. I finally saw these pictures--nice job!
    Love how you put this post together, very inspiring to look for the beauty and good in the midst of loss. We miss him but have good memories, too.

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