By your example you did show
And teach me much of what I know
Patience, kindness, self-control
How to strive to reach a goal
Hard-working, busy, you never knew greed
Always ready and willing to help those in need
Though often you scratch to “make ends meet.”
You just trust in God to supply what you need
Oh often I thought, “How strict can he be,
That he never even does my side see!”
How foolish I was, for I failed to see
That your real concern was for me
How often it is I tend to forget
That you, too, once these experiences met
And to save me the pain, turmoil, and woe
Of making the same mistake, you said, “No.”
I’m sorry, Daddy, for often I went
And I found out and saw just what you meant.
But, just like you Daddy, I often need
To learn the hard way before I will heed
Yes, we all have faults and failures too
But Daddy, I thank God for giving me you
For you taught me to overlook faults in others
To love them, do good, and to treat them as brothers.
Written September 1976
Copyright © 2021 by Terri Art