If you click the red arrow below, you can watch the video of that song, and I've cut & pasted the lyrics to the song below. Then below that I have a few thoughts regarding that song and what it means to me.
He wore starched white shirts buttoned at the neck,
And he'd sit in the shade and watch the chickens peck
And his teeth were gone, but what the heck,
I thought that he walked on water
He said he was a cowboy when he was young
He could handle a rope and he was good with a gun
And my mama's daddy was his oldest son,
And I thought that he walked on water
If the story was told, only heaven knows
But his hat seemed to me like an old halo
And although his wings, they were never seen
I thought that he walked on water
Then he tied a cord to the end of a mop,
And said, "son, here's a pony, keep her at a trot"
And I'd ride in circles while he laughed a lot
Then I'd flop down beside him
And he was ninety years old in sixty-three
And I loved him and he loved me
And lord, I cried the day he died,
'Cause I thought that he walked on water
If the story was told, only heaven knows
But his hat seemed to me like an old halo
And though his wings, they were never seen
I thought that he walked on water
Yeah, I thought that he walked on water
The song is a touching one about a boy singing about his great-grandpa and how he looked up to him. As I sit here this evening on Father's Day, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for and have a fifty years of great memories of my grandfathers and my Dad. I think that they walk(ed) on water.
My grandfather on my mother's side was a good man. He was a selfless individual who cared about his family, his friends, and his community. I remember there was a man in town named Mr. Charles. Mr. Charles had a disability that rendered him unable to walk or talk. My grandfather (we called him "Poppy") would pick him up in his Ford Bronco and take Mr. Charles to church on Sundays. My grandfather taught me to compost. I can remember him telling me how many years it takes to create an inch of topsoil. He served in the WWII European theater and loved his country. Most of all, he loved us deeply and sincerely.
My grandfather on my dad's side instilled in me the love of agriculture. He wore a white Stetson straw hat and cover-alls. He took time out of his schedule to spend with me, teaching me to work the soil and plant vegetables and and experience the miracle of seeds popping up out of the ground and yielding a bountiful harvest. He taught me to fish. He enjoyed watching me get involved in 4-H and showing livestock. In his later years, he got involved with raising beef cattle and that, in turn, got me interested in doing the same.
My dad sought out and married a wonderful woman in my mom and they continue to be great parents to this day. My dad taught me the value of hard work, of persistence, of virtue. He made sure that I was in church on Sunday and disciplined us so that we had a keen understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Don't misunderstand that he is a hard man - he isn't. He is patient and kind and understanding even when we didn't deserve it. I had an opportunity to work alongside him farming and I still consider those years some of the best of my life. He taught me to be a man and modeled to me how to be a husband and a father to my own kids.
My Dad's shoes, and those of my grandfathers, are impossible to fill. While they are (were) not perfect, they are (were) giants in my eyes. They say we stand on the shoulders of those who precede us, and I think that is true. I am who I am today because of what I learned from my grandfathers and my dad. I thank God for them. I wish my grandfathers were still alive to tell them Happy Father's Day. Fortunately, I can still wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day. Happy Father's Day, Dad!
My grandfather on my mother's side was a good man. He was a selfless individual who cared about his family, his friends, and his community. I remember there was a man in town named Mr. Charles. Mr. Charles had a disability that rendered him unable to walk or talk. My grandfather (we called him "Poppy") would pick him up in his Ford Bronco and take Mr. Charles to church on Sundays. My grandfather taught me to compost. I can remember him telling me how many years it takes to create an inch of topsoil. He served in the WWII European theater and loved his country. Most of all, he loved us deeply and sincerely.
My grandfather on my dad's side instilled in me the love of agriculture. He wore a white Stetson straw hat and cover-alls. He took time out of his schedule to spend with me, teaching me to work the soil and plant vegetables and and experience the miracle of seeds popping up out of the ground and yielding a bountiful harvest. He taught me to fish. He enjoyed watching me get involved in 4-H and showing livestock. In his later years, he got involved with raising beef cattle and that, in turn, got me interested in doing the same.
My dad sought out and married a wonderful woman in my mom and they continue to be great parents to this day. My dad taught me the value of hard work, of persistence, of virtue. He made sure that I was in church on Sunday and disciplined us so that we had a keen understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Don't misunderstand that he is a hard man - he isn't. He is patient and kind and understanding even when we didn't deserve it. I had an opportunity to work alongside him farming and I still consider those years some of the best of my life. He taught me to be a man and modeled to me how to be a husband and a father to my own kids.
My Dad's shoes, and those of my grandfathers, are impossible to fill. While they are (were) not perfect, they are (were) giants in my eyes. They say we stand on the shoulders of those who precede us, and I think that is true. I am who I am today because of what I learned from my grandfathers and my dad. I thank God for them. I wish my grandfathers were still alive to tell them Happy Father's Day. Fortunately, I can still wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day. Happy Father's Day, Dad!
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