MY FATHER

By Barbara Springthorpe

Today, April 12, 2009, is the 21st anniversary of my father's death. It seems amazing to me. As one who has lived through it, I can tell you that grief does ease up after awhile. As we know, it never goes away (and that's a good thing), but it does get easier.



When I played guitar and piano (neither very well, by the way, and that's the truth, not false humility), I wrote a song about my father - I was remembering how, when I was in second grade, he took me to a Rosary and Benediction service every night at our parish church during the month of May. It was quite a privilege for me because my father almost always worked two jobs and hardly had any time to spend with just 1 of his 6 kids.

His was a deep, steady faith, but not a showy one. I slowly realized after his death that he had taught me by example, the most powerful way to learn. As I was writing it, I also realized it was about my mother. Neither of them was perfect, no one is, but they were good people.

One thing I didn't learn from them was self-confidence. It has taken me years to even tell people about writing music, but today seems like an appropriate day to share the lyrics with you.


Did you know that I was watching you for all those years?


Did you know that I was learning from you silently to care?


I took the gifts you gave me from your heart and made them mine.


I claimed them for my own life, ties that will always bind.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara Springthorpe submitted this remembrance of her father.