One Year Later

"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, p. 185

"Ramona and Her Father" by Beverly Cleary, p.159

      It was one year ago, June 2011 when I created this blog. I was getting REALLY tired of being single. I wondered if there were others out there who felt the same. Others who were looking for a support group. A place to share and vent the frustrations of wanting to fill the measure of their creation without getting kicked out of their religous organization. A place to gather in support of how desperately the world needs more good family men, husbands, fathers and providers-such as the two featured in the above illustrations. I feel strongly it's up to us women-both married and single-to remind the rest of the world of the importance of maintaining these now "old fashioned values" and that the "Ozzie and Harriet" life is not dead.
     As a novice writer it was also a place to experiment and improve the quality of my art for writing is truly an art. Writing is the ability to manipulate the english language to create impressions on human hearts that stand the test of time. If my writing can even come close to the genius of Wilder or Cleary I will have reached my goal. I will continue to work hard at the University to earn my second bachelors in English. I will also continue to write and post here. I need the practice.
     As June is the month to celebrate Father's Day I thought I'd post two illustrations from two of the most beloved children's authors of the last century (and two of my own personal writing heroes) Laura Ingalls Wilder and Beverly Cleary. The paperback copies I owned by these two women I literally wore out in my reading as a young girl. With my own biological father pretty much MIA I had to look for father figures elsewhere. I found them in books and the religious magazines published by my church. Bono of U2 is also such a father. See my post for April 2012 here:  http://www.oldmaidmormon.blogspot.com/2012/04/family-vs-u2.html
     Both those illustrations always bring a tear to my eye. Lucky girls, Ramona and Laura, happy and secure with Daddy and Pa. What must it be like to enjoy that kind of relationship with the person who gave you life? But I need not cry for long. Good men are out there and I can be grateful my two nephews have such a father in their lives. Someone who is always there, even for seemingly insignificant moments like just snuggling on a couch as well as someone to help you fight your dragons and cheer you on. I just read in the paper the other day about a father who beat the hell out of a man he caught molesting his daughter. Yes, we needn't despair. All over the world good men are quietly doing their jobs as husbands and fathers for the sake of their children. In celebrating Father's Day I hope those who have such father figures in their lives will tell them thank you.