Wisdom – Love a Good Story

Love a Good Story. I just Love a Good Story. Don’t you just Love a Good Story? Well, here is another Good Story.

This month on June 16, we celebrate Father’s Day. I’m happy we celebrate our fathers. They deserve it. We need our fathers. They do so much more in the family than we know and/or give them credit for.

Both parents contributed evenly to who I am today, and I am thankful and proud of that. Even though society thinks mothers are extremely important to a child’s development and upbringing, the father is just as important, especially in today’s time where the mother is away from the home as much as the father. But fathers contribute hugely to their children’s development and enable growth in ways we don’t think of or see. Men show, mothers say or tell.

When I was very young, I didn’t think about what my father was teaching me. I just loved him so much. Every day, I would sit in the window waiting for him to come home from work. When I saw him coming through the front gate, I ran to the door, jumping and squealing because my father was home. I did this until I was in the third grade. But as a third grader, I didn’t jump and squeal. I was glad to see him. Later, we moved to a new house, and the arrangement changed, but I greeted my father until I reached high school.

My father showed me and my siblings how to solve problems by the way he handled his problems and the help he gave to us. Whenever I had a problem and asked my father for help, he had a story to tell me. After the story, he would tell me the moral of the story and find out if I understood how to solve the problem. I told him what my next step would be. He also had a procedure for solving problems and when I was in high school, when he thought I would need it, he told me the procedure he used for solving problems. As an adult, I continue to use that method.

Fathers enable their children to have confidence, to be sure of ourselves. My father always encouraged me, told me I could do something I didn’t think I could do. My father showed me how to ride a bike after he bought me one for my birthday. He didn’t ask me if I wanted one; he bought the bike. He showed me how to handle the bike. Riding looks simple and easy, but there is so much to learn about riding a bike. It is not as easy as it looks. I loved to bike. As an adult, I was always on my bike. I was always confident in my ability to handle the bike, except I never wanted to change a flat tire, and because of that ability, I could get out of tight situations where many others either fell or had to get off their bike. Biking enabled me to see my ability and gave me the freedom to feel secure. I thank my dad for that.

My father also encouraged me to be knowledgeable, do well in school, be curious about things and find solutions. At report card time, I would bring my report card home to my mother, but I couldn’t take it back until my father had seen it. One time he didn’t like the grade I got in one class and went to the school to talk to the teacher. The grade was changed.

When I took on a project at home or at school, that was more than I expected and felt like giving up, my father would say, “Stay the course,” meaning bring what you began to a positive conclusion. Often it took me longer to complete, but I did what he asked of me. I completed the projects. I did it for him, at first. But my father showed me that completing the project made me a better person. I was now reliable.

My father showed me how to be an honest person by being honest and doing for others. He always said pay what you owe. But you don’t have to take on someone else’s debt. He encouraged me to always put myself in a positive position. Be truthful. The truth will not hurt me, but will make me a better person. He showed me, and all of us, love. He helped my mother with the dishes after meals, cooked for us, and helped clean the house. When I was sick, my father bought me ice cream and during dinner when I couldn’t eat with the family, he would come to my room and feed me chocolate ice cream, my favorite. He did that every time I had the flu, or cold. It was his medicine. Before I knew it, I felt so much better. Today, whenever I have the flu or cold, I get chocolate ice cream and think about my father. It was never medicine; it was his love for me.

My father asked me not to hate others for any reason. He encouraged me to help those around me who needed help. Be good to everyone. He was also a Christian man, thus, held Christian values. He also showed me how not to take advantage of women (which some women do to each other), and instead, lift them up. He showed me how, by the way he honored my mother.

He always said that until the country changes, it was still the man’s job to take care of his family. My father always provided for us. He protected us, gave us not only what we needed, but much of what we wanted. He had us evaluate what we wanted and showed us how not to waste money, time, or effort.

The world is changing now, and thankfully fathers see their children need them. From my view, fathers are much more involved in the lives of their children. In many public places, I’ve seen fathers do a myriad of things such as carrying their children or pushing them in the stroller, attending school meetings and parent-teacher meetings, attending school activities such as plays, chorus, football, basketball, science fair, and other school activities. These things show the children that they are important. This builds the son or daughter’s self-esteem, enables the son or daughter to know their place in the family and helps them feel safe.

I realize that there are many children or adults without fathers. With some, the fathers were not as involved with their children. Others had fathers who are in the service or do a service such as a firefighter, police officer or work away from the home. It would be a nice idea to leave your father, who works odd hours and is away from the home, a Father’s Day card expressing your thanks and love for him. See what happens. Be sure to let me know how things turned out. I will wait to hear from you. Only do this if you don’t have a personal reason to keep your distance.

On June 16, 2024, honor your father. Like you did with your mother on Mother’s Day, show your father that you are thankful for him and that you love him and care about him.

I would love to hear from you about your father. Please write and tell me all about your experience.

The Attractiveness of Wisdom is a story about a father and his relationship with his three children. Purchase the novel. Let me know how you enjoyed it and what you think of the father, Hamilton, in the story. I have to say I love him, and I really love his son, Jeremy, who is attached to his father and who also helps his father become a better person.

Isn’t that a Good Story? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Please send me your comments by responding to this blog. Until next time, Love a Good Story. Purchase The Attractiveness of Wisdom. I know you will love it as well.

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00I3KVGFM?

The Attractiveness of Wisdom, Winner, The Independent Press Award, 2022, and The NY Big Book Award, 2022. www.www.blackrosewriting.com.

http://www.blackrosewriting.com and https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00I3KVGFM?

Blessings and Curses, Finalist in the Readers Favorite Award, 2020, also awarded Top Ten Most Popular Books in the Frankfurt, Sharjah, and Guadalajara International Book Fairs, 2018.

I Love a Good Story. Don’t you just Love a Good Story?

Here is another Good Story.

Hello. I’m Anna Maddox, Hamilton’s daughter. Hamilton Maddox is the main character in Judy Kelly’s new novel, The Attractiveness of Wisdom. It will be out in a few months. Please get it and read about me.

My father grew up in Stevensville, Maryland. I love that place and am always so anxious to visit my grandparents who still live there. As you know from reading The Attractiveness of Wisdom, I love history and Stevensville has many antique shops that include so many items from the past. Sometimes, when I visited an antique shop, I would pick up an item and imagine myself there. I often wondered what it was like living during earlier times, especially being a woman. My dad told me I wouldn’t like it because I like to think for myself and come up with my own solutions. In earlier times, many women were “directed” by their husbands.

I guess I am lucky. My father showed me how to be strong and think for myself. He decided I would have my own thoughts and make my own decisions, if he could help it. So, he guided me, showed me how to be goal oriented, protected me and showed me that some choices would lead me away from my goals. My mother was ill when I was growing up and wasn’t able to talk to me about makeup and show me how to put it on; or talk to me about clothes and what to wear. After watching some of the girls in my classes in middle school and even high school, I thought being a woman meant making yourself attractive for boys and later men. My father didn’t do that with me, instead, he showed me how to read, evaluate, and think.

I didn’t really know I was different until I reached high school. That’s when I saw the other girls knew how to flirt with the boys and I didn’t. Other girls had dates and I didn’t. I didn’t realize it, but I became angry with my mother for being sick and with my father for reasons I didn’t know or understand then. One evening, when I yelled at my father, I asked him if he thought I was pretty. I had begun to think that the reason he didn’t show me how to use make up was because he didn’t think I was pretty enough, and the mascara, or eyeliner, or lipstick wouldn’t enhance my looks in any way. I don’t think I will ever forget that day. He took me by the arm, and we went into the bathroom. He faced me toward the mirror and asked me what I saw. Before I answered he said, “I see the most beautiful young lady I have ever seen with beautiful blue eyes the color of the sky that say when she’s happy or sad or when things are funny to her. I see a young lady whose smile is so deep and warm and filled with love. I see a young lady whose personality always draws people to her and makes people feel loved and comfortable and safe in her care. That’s what I see every time I look at you.” My father’s comments brought tears to my eyes and he pulled me into his strong arms, and I knew my father told me his truth. After that, I tried not to argue with him anymore.

It has occurred to me that fathers love their daughters and see it as their job to teach their daughters what to do. When will it be that women won’t need to have their fathers tell them that they are okay because society will be so that it will be “okay” for everyone? But for now, fathers must teach their daughters certain things so they can make their way in a man’s world. Sometimes that training can be difficult, but for me, I feel good that my father thought I would be someone to do something important in this world, and because he valued me so much, he readied me for the opportunities and challenges that would lead me there. This is the man who is the main character in Judy’s story, The Attractiveness of Wisdom.

Be sure to look at the pictures of the antique shops in Stevensville (below). Do you see the saddle, also in the picture above? Can you believe that? And what about the bike? Judy has been a long-distance bicyclist for many years, and a lover of plants and flowers. I’ll bet you she would love to have that bike where she could grow some of her plants. Sadly, many of the shops had to close due to covid-19. But you can get your copy of The Attractiveness of Wisdom when the novel comes out. Please do. I would love to hear from you.