A Wife and Five Daughters
By Peggy Wilmes King
It must have been hard living with a wife and five daughters, but Dad seemed good at it. He taught us all the stuff a girl needs to know--how to go around the world and walk the dog on a Duncan yo-yo, how to cast a fishing rod, how to grip and swing a golf club, how to wash the car, how to shake hands (never offer anyone a wet fish), and how to drive--Do not engage the blinker at a stop light--for those of you who don't know--it wastes the bulb. And he is the only person I have ever known who could squeeze a Cheerio out of your arm muscle at any given moment.
He had names for us girls. Kath was Kath-a-leen-bean, Mary Jo was Joje-a-boje, Jeanne was Jeeje-a-beeje, Laura was Buffy, and I was Peggins. We all miss him so much. I miss the happy look on his face when we came to the front door, I miss his crooked hands, his laugh, his voice, his whistling, his amazing handwriting, his barbequeing in the back yard, and the way he presided over family reunions, even his habit of jingling the change in his pocket.
I know that I speak for all of us in saying that he made us feel loved our whole lives. Thanks, Dad. That's what we miss most of all.
