My Daddy Was a Traveling Man

by Edie Melson
@EdieMelson

Today is my second Father's Day ever without my dad. 

Daddy passed away on December 4, 2015, and I still miss him like it was yesterday. 

Today, in honor of him, I thought I'd share a short video with you. 

A Father's Day Tribute—The Past Unwritten

by Edie Melson

His world—once painted in vibrant colors with wide brush strokes—now only grays, hazy and indistinct.

Memories, remembrances, grown dim.

Life now, only a reflection of the black and white images he once captured.

Words, once a rushing river of abundance,

Now trickle through a small stream bed

Stumbling over rocks

Stuttering to a stop in stagnant pools of

Forgetfulness.

A father and husband, once a perfect composition,

Now missing the parts that made him whole.

Awkwardly fit together,

A cruel caricature of who he once was.

Time, once a ribbon unbroken from past to present to future.

Now frayed and torn,

Beyond mending, but precious for the parts

That remain.

Experiences once shared, slowly fading, disappear into murky shadows,

A book being unwritten

Day by day.

Glimpses of the hero he is shines through the dim light in his eyes.

Moments of recognition,

Treasures of the past.

I wrote this as I tried to come to terms with the encroaching dementia of someone I love. Perhaps you've found yourself struggling with a similar situation.

Weekend Worship—Embracing the Legacy, Part Two

Thoughts for Father's Day

by Edie Melson

Jim & Monita Mahoney

I had the privilege of introducing you all to my mom on Mother’s Day, and today I’d like for you to meet my dad. Where my mom is an artist, creating works of art, Jim Mahoney is a photographer. His gift is to take something visible to everyone and show us what we missed. His black and white photographs have won him awards in numerous shows and been displayed in galleries around the country. 

And this was his second creative career.

Jim Mahoney

While I was growing up, my dad was a classical musician. He played in the Dallas Symphony, as well as taught music at our local college, University of Texas at Arlington. 

Even while he was pursuing his music career, he was strengthening his vision with a camera. As a child, I remember many vacations when he’d let me accompany him before dawn to be in place to capture breathtaking sunrise shots from places like the Grand Canyon.

Jim Mahoney

And through it all, he constantly encouraged me to discover my own strengths and explore life from the paths I chose. Neither of my parents ever dictated career or life paths, but instead chose to equip us with what we needed to find our own way. And those gifts, especially the courage to do what we love, are some of the most valuable I’ve ever received. 

As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask. Matthew 7:11 CEV