Tag Tuesday - Happy Easter! and a story: START AT TWO

For this week's Tag Tuesday, the theme is Easter, as we approach Easter Sunday. This is my tag, and if you would like more info on the materials,and to see the work of other artists, please click here. The basic image came from a postcard my grandmother Alice received in 1911.

(click for detail)

Last week Tuesday was not a good day health wise, so there was no story. It was nice to know, though, that it was missed!

START AT TWO

Sixteenth in the Tuesday Story Series

My father was an upright man who worked hard for his family and was a faithful loving husband to my mother. When he was in his fifties, and I in my thirties, we developed a close relationship which lasted until his death in 2005. Before that time, our relationship was distant, for diverse reasons. Most of them stemmed out of how I was raised. My grandfather on my dad's side was very autocratic; Dad was one of six children, 5 boys and 1 girl. They grew up on a farm during the Depression, so no one was a stranger to hard work and thriftiness. Dad did not have a great role model for how to be close to your children, although he did a much better job than my grandfather did. Earlier I wrote about a cherished time I spent with my father here. I was six then, and over the next decade, my parents had six children; Dad worked many long hours and there just didn't seem to be time to parcel out his attention to all of us individually. Years later when I was in high school, he realized he was putting too many hours in at the office and changed professions. But by that time for me, it was too late. As I had grown up, he became more uncomfortable about being alone with me, and we couldn't seem to talk about anything without it turning into a lecture. I think that changed a lot when the youngest were in high school, thankfully. And as I stated earlier, we did develop a friendship as adults.

Many years later, when our daughter Tabitha was born, I asked my husband John to promise me he would spend one on one time with her, especially during the teen years. He did so willingly and began almost immediately. I had read once that if you want to have a good relationship with your teenage children, start when they are two years old. I would amend that to "start right away"! 

John began reading to Tabitha early on and did so into her teen years. He and she would go on "dates" for Saturday morning breakfast and he would listen to her chatter about everything as they sat eating at McDonald's. As she grew older, they would eat at more "grown-up" places, and although the subject matter would change, he still listened. I was very grateful.

As she was growing up, John made a point to be available for any kind of discussion and so as she changed and hormones would sometimes cause confusion, she knew that she could talk with her Papa about anything she was experiencing and he would not pull away in embarrassed silence. As a 27 year old adult, she still spends time with her Papa. A couple of weeks ago they went to see a play together. I'm not saying John always understands her, after all, Men are from Mars and all that sort of thing, but they have a precious relationship! And that certainly makes me happy too! 

Hope you have a blessed Easter this Sunday!

Rebecca