Friday, August 18, 2017

Don't Blink

"I turned on the evening news, saw an old man being interviewed, turning a hundred and two today.  Asked him what's the secret to life.  He looked up from his old pipe, laughed and said..."all I can say is, don't blink."  Kenny Chesney

Ok let's get this party started.  :)  I thought about this song today since my daddy has been in the hospital the last couple of days.   It's like I blinked and he was 86 years old.

 I don't know when daddy got so old but I tell him all the time he's the oldest person I know.  Staying with him in the hospital we talked about his daddy (my grandpa) and he laughed like a kid at the stories he told.  He told a story about the preacher coming to grandpa's house and wanted some water.  Grandpa told him it was in the refrigerator.  The preacher came back and said he didn't know where that water came from but it sure was strong.  My grandmother almost fell out of her chair, the preacher had got holt of grandpa's moonshine. Come on ya'll, you know it was for medicinal purposes.  Daddy thought this was so funny and it made me giggle watching him laugh out loud talking about grandpa.  His face lit up like a fire talking about his mamma and daddy.  That my friends I love to see.

We got to watch a little TV and this is his take on everything.  The Braves (which ain't worth a flip half the time he says), the football games (kaepernick deserves what he got, not standing for the national anthem) and the news this morning (Is that channel 5, I don't like that blonde lady on channel 2 with that guy with the gap in is teeth).  Lord have mercy in case you don't know, he was talking about Kelly Rippa and Michael Strahan.  I told him Strahan was on GMA so he let me turn it over there.  Hell's bells, wouldn't you know it, Strahan wasn't on there today.  I thought you said he was on channel 2.  Well daddy I guess he's off today.

"Don't blink you just might miss your babies growing like mine did."  Daddy has seven kids and we all like to aggravate each other that we're his favorite.   We always say baby girl is his favorite and guess what?  I guess she is!!!  As I was getting his license out of his wallet for the nurse yesterday the ONLY picture he had was of baby girl in high school.  Bless his heart, she's 39 years old, he needs a new picture.  Better than that I need to give him one so I can be his favorite.  At least for a little bit, 'til baby girl gives him a new one.

"Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife."  Mama was 17 when her and daddy married so I think that makes his high school sweetheart his wife of 64 years. Daddy knew mama growing up and he tells stories about her all the time.  Again his face lights up just talking about her.  Now let me just say right here, they can say things about each other but boy hidey we better not say anything because we find out real quick who's in charge.  Speaking of being in charge.  I was first at the hospital the other day so guess what?  I got to be in charge for a whole minute.  LOL  actually it was about 30 minutes until mama got there.  Then it was over and again daddy laughed because I said that didn't last long me being in charge.  Then he had to tell the nurse all about his seven kids and mama.  He's a proud daddy!!!

"Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think."  In daddy's case 86 years have gone by way faster than I can believe.  It seems like yesterday he was coaching my brothers baseball teams and had a head full of black hair.  Now he's retired (FINALLY) and he's gray headed. But don't you guess you would be gray headed too if you raised seven kids?   Watching daddy sleeping last night I saw my baby boy (he's 38 but he'll always be my baby boy) sleeping 50 years from now.  Yep, mine is just like my daddy.  Tall, not big as a minute and a receding hair line just like daddy.  I guess if he's going to look like someone (besides me) it might as well be my daddy.  He was a handsome man in the day, looks good for his age and is a pretty smart man.

Lesson for today?  Surprise!!! I've got one!  Don't wake up one morning and wonder where time has gone.  Don't wake up with regrets.  Life is too short to be anything but happy so go ahead be crazy, be stupid, be silly, be weird, but for goodness sake "don't be boring, dress cute wherever you go.  Life is too short to blend in." - Paris Hilton



Love to all,
Sweet Southern Sass

 






2 comments:

  1. I love reading your stories Sherry, you always add such a fun flair to them along with a pretty good life lesson. I hope your daddy is feeling better soon. ❤️

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  2. Thank you so much!! He got to come home today so that makes me feel better.

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