My Pop's Tops
What will your children remember? In the late forties a newspaper ran an interesting contest in which children were to write essays on "My Pop's Tops." Here's the first prize entry.
My Pop's Tops
We have so much fun with my dad that I wish I'd known him sooner. He's a farmer. He smells just like a cow and when I smell that cow in the house, I know Pop's home and I'm glad.
My pop's tops because every time I ask for a nickel he starts preachin' that when he was a boy, he had to earn his nickels!…. and at the same time he is putting his hand in his pocket and pulls out a nickel for me.
My pop's tops because he was a brave soldier. He didn't see me till I was three years old but he's just as good to me as if he knew me all my life.
Wouldn't any dad like his children saying, "My pop's tops"? But doing a retake on his essay, it's evident this little guy was judging his dad by the common everyday things. A smell, a nickel, the feeling inside. Do we sometimes to over concern ourselves with details like food, shelter, clothing and the strong protector bit?
Sure, this is important. I want to be a good provider, so do you. But really, does anything matter more than living so our children could say;
"We have so much fun with my dad. I wish I'd known him sooner."
Author: Charlie Shedd