Today Would Have Been My Dad's Birthday

Today (March 4th) would have been our dad's (Joseph O. Waters Sr.) Birthday. He was the best dad that anyone could ever have.

He always liked his Coconut Cake, but he wouldn't complain if another cake was served.

He liked it whenever the family could come home and we could all spend time together.

He loved to get up early in the morning and play his only song that he knew on the piano to let us kids know it was time to, "rise and shine."

As I look back now, I am thankful for all the stories he shared with us of his childhood and his experiences as he grew into a young man. Now whenever I face an obstacle in life, I remember something he would have told us, and it makes the experience easier.

In the evenings after supper you would find him laying on the Living Room floor, he said that he was realigning his back after a day of work.

I remember that every Tuesday he went to Atlanta to buy stock to replenish stock that had been sold the previous week at the store. We would first go to Crosley and later it was Norge, Hotpoint and then Westinghouse to get our appliances. Whenever we needed an appliance he would buy for our home the model of appliance that had been in, inventory the longest because he wanted their customers to get the newest appliance.

I ask my brothers and sisters do they remember some of these appliances. We got the refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom and the shelves were counter lever so that you could crank the shelves up or down according to the size of the item on the shelf. We also had the ironer that looked like a chest freezer with a lid like a file box that covered the ironer roller and the heating press. It was fun to use and we kids wanted to iron everything. (even our underwear) You would sit in front of the Ironer and insert the garment into the back of the Ironer and use the press to iron that part of the garment (much like a Cleaners would) and as it came down the roller it folded the garment. It was pretty neat. I was glad that no one wanted to buy it because we loved it.

We would go to Atlanta Stove Works to purchase Wood Stoves and Wood Heaters as well as gas heaters. They also sold Porch furniture like cast iron yard furniture in the Grape Pattern and Gliders for the yard or front porch as well as yard furniture. These were sold in colors of, red/white, green/white, yellow/white and blue/white. I remember many a Summer day of assembling of these items.

We would go to Lee Products to get cookware, pressure cookers, and other household appliances. Lee Products was owned by a Japenese Couple, that had no children, but loved children very much. I remember our dad telling us we could look at the toys in the showroom but we were not to touch them. This was a paradise for me as a young lad. They had all kinds of toy trucks and cars, bikes, trikes and everything that you could imagine. I remember I got my first bike here. (It wasn't new because my dad said I needed to appreciate it and later when I worked to earn a new bike I would appreciate it more.) And as always he was right, when I got my new bike here, I did appreciate it and it lasted me for many years.

We also went to Woodalls, which was a repair shop for small appliances. We would take toasters, frying pans, pressure cookers, etc.., items in for repair for our customers and pick them up the next week for our customers.

As a child, I loved to rummage in the dumpsters of these companies that we would go to each week and it was like a treasure trove of what they threw away.

When it was time to return home from Atlanta, dad would let us ride on the back of the truck home. We would build us a spot to hide in if it rained on the return or we would climb to the top of the load to feel the wind in our faces as he drove down the road. We knew that if we ever misbehaved we would get punished when we got home.

It's hard to believe that mom and dad have been gone for twelve years. There are days when you want to call and then remember that they are gone.

I guess what I'm trying to say is "Thank-You," for all of the love and care while growing up. "Thank You," for lifting up Christ before us, and being and example by showing us how to live our life for Christ. We are so glad for experiences that molded us in to what we are today.

Love Forever Your Youngest Son,

Palmer