Thursday, July 18, 2024

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Blogging isn't for everyone.  The handful of people in my life who know that I enjoy writing about my hobby and childhood memories probably don't really get it.  But maybe one day they will.

One of the coolest gifts my father left behind was a blog that contained some of his favorite memories.  I helped him set it up and one of my brothers helped him edit and revise his posts.


Anyways a few months ago, I read a post he wrote about the first car my parents ever purchased.  It was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air:

1992 Muscle Cards Series 1 #7

His friend had bought it fresh off the lot.  However after a few months he started a new job out of state and they gave him a company car.  He didn't need two cars, so he offered it up to my dad who gave him $200 and took over the car payments.

They lost contact with each other, but twenty-something years later...  my dad discovered that he lived with his family less than a mile away from our house.  They formed a tight friend group that did a lot of stuff together.  They golfed, skied, and bowled together... but the thing I remember the most were the poker nights.

Sadly my dad's friend passed away about a year before my parents moved to Las Vegas.  I'm not sure how often they kept in touch with his wife after the move.  But this morning, she wrote "Happy birthday" on his Facebook page.  Actually three of his friends wrote birthday messages to him.  It wasn't easy, but I let each of them know that he passed away last year.

Happy birthday Pops!  Miss you.  But... I sure am glad you shared your blog with your family so we can remember you and Mama.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!

9 comments:

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

Amen!

night owl said...

My mom encouraged her kids to journal but I don't think any of us did it -- until I started a blog, which is my journal. It'll be here for grandkids to discover if they wish. They'll just have to get past all the card stuff.

Matt said...

My parents aren't really that much into tech stuff. My dad knows the most which isn't that much.

Sadly they have moved so much in life that a lot of the memories and stuff that would help remember them are gone. All I have is the few I can remember. I try to ask for more but he doesn't always have the answers. It's sad. I really wanted a lot of the stuff they lost over the years, especially the pictures.

The Lost Collector said...

Very cool idea. It must be nice to go back and read some of his entries.

Not the same at all, but I have a gmail for both of my kids that they don't know about. Every couple months I send them an email about something in their life or just to provide an update. One day I'll hand over the email addresses to them and let them read back on some of the memories I wrote to them about.

Jon said...

Interesting. I'm assuming that only the family has access to the posts then?

Fuji said...

johnnys trading spot - hallelujah!

night owl - it's cool that your daughter and grandkids will have something to look back on if they want. plus they can brag that their father/grandfather was one of the greatest card bloggers of all-time

matt - i wish i would have taken the time to ask more questions (especially to my mom), before they passed away. the sad thing is... they both lived a long life, so i had plenty of chances. in the back of my mind i must have figured there would always be more time.

the lost collector - wow... that email idea is awesome. i will share it with my friends who have children. that is going to be such a cool gift when you decide to pass it on to them.

jon - yeah. it's a private blog. he invited immediate family and a few of the hawaii relatives to read and comment. i'm sure this isn't the last time i share stories from it though. my goal is to pick up some cards and build a 9-pocket page of cards that represent him and my mom.

SumoMenkoMan said...

Pops definitely raised you well! Cool idea on the cards that represent him!

deal said...

My parents had a 1956 Bel Air - same color scheme as that card but it was a sedan. They had it for my entire childhood until I left for school. Not sure what happened to it. I will ask. Both my Dad and Grandfather are/were journalers. I will likely inherit their work - I am sure the cars fate is in there somewhere.

Fuji said...

sumomenkoman - i hope so. try my best to represent the family name as best as i can. my mom and dad are by far the biggest influences

deal - my father didn't write about the style. they might have had a sedan as well. that is really cool that you'll inherit your dad and grandfather's work. should give you plenty of reading material