Words like "quiet presence", "voice of reason", "patriotic", "gentleman", "respected", "highly intelligent", "dignified", "private", "kind", "proud"....and from my sister's speech at the funeral: "...a man of conviction, strong ethics, and a passion for social justice."
The above statement leads me to tell a true story about Dad that occurred many, many years ago.... during the years of great intolerance for people of color...especially in the South, where we lived.
My dad owned a small dry cleaning establishment and the word got out that he would not charge clergy to clean their robes...no matter what faith they represented.
One day a member of the Ku Klux Klan entered my dad's dry cleaner and left some of their white robes to be cleaned.
Several days later, the man returned to pick up the robes.
In lieu of a bill, my father attached a note to the plastic that now covered the cleaned robes.
The note stated that the robes had been cleaned by a black man, pressed by a Hispanic woman, in a business owned by a Jewish man. This note then stated that they should take their business elsewhere and not return.
Hearing that story and many others again and again last week continued to bring up such proud feelings inside of me for this special man. He instilled these traits of tolerance... for people of all colors, nationalities and religions... in all of us as we grew up...and I have passed these same principles onto my own children...who will someday pass them on to their children...
Dad, your wonderful legacy of social justice, kindness, and lack of prejudice continues to live on and on....
5 comments:
He looks kind and gentle, especially the way he is holding Owen. I always admire a person who treats all mankind the same, with dignity and respect. Thank you for letting us learn about such a remarkable man. I look forward to more life stories.
What a wonderful legacy your dad has passed on! Thank you for sharing these memories.
Paulette
What a wonderful testimony of a life well-lived. How wonderful to have those memories of your dear daddy.
This is a very potent story. I love how he kept his word to clean "clergy's" robes, but then used the opportunity to both teach and then, once he'd met his obligation, set his new limits about the matter.
It is a unique experience for me to hear a woman speak the way you do about your father.
Thank you for sharing him.
Stella
How amazing, I love that picture of your dad and Owen, sharing some story of the past and the family with the new generation.
The story of the "clergy" robes is so wonderful, I hope it's written down in the "book of dad" so that Moe and Owen will have it to share with their kids someday.
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