Dad Meant........ What He Said

Until I had children of my own, I never knew what I put my dad through.

Now before I get to the meat of the story, let me tell you a little about my dad. Dad was not really a man of few words — he said what he needed to say and talked about things he liked, but he didn't just babble on. He didn't have to yell, unless I was across the pasture. He usually just had to say it once, and sometimes he didn't have to say it at all — he just lowered his head and looked over his glasses, and that usually did the trick. That's a trick I mastered early on with my own kids.

Now, I struggled about telling this story, because in this day and time people's views are a little different. But mom and dad have left us, and the statute of limitations has well run out. You have to realize I grew up in the 70's and 80's, and whoopings were a way of life.

Well, I wasn't a mean child or even a disrespectful one — I was just ALL BOY. Now of all the things I was supposed to and not supposed to do, the one thing my cousin and I were not allowed to do was go to the pond by ourselves. In fact, dad's actual words were, "If you go to that pond without a grown up, I will spank you every step of the way back."

Well, the day came when my cousin and I talked ourselves into sneaking off to catch tadpoles at the pond. We were having a ball catching tadpoles at the water's edge — in fact, we were having so much fun that we didn't hear our dads calling us, and we sure didn't hear them coming up behind us. Boy, were they mad!

Well, I found out that day that my dad was a man of his word. He grabbed me by the hand, jerked his belt off, and started the trip home. Now, grandpa's house was about 500 yards from the pond, and that walk was a long one — because every time my right foot touched the ground, my dad's belt came across my bottom.

When we reached grandpa's, he was in the backyard. He confronted my dad — his own son — and started in on him. "You didn't have to do that. The boys are fine. You shouldn't have whooped them that way." But my dad never said a word to him. He just walked me to the back door, let go of my hand, turned, and walked away. He crossed the yard and sat down at the picnic table with his back to us.

The guilt got to me. I walked up to him, tears streaming down my face, saying over and over, "I'm sorry, Dad." When I reached him, I noticed there were tears running down his face too — the first time I had ever seen my dad cry.

"Dad, I'm sorry I made you mad," I said.

He just looked at me and said, "Son, I'm not mad. You don't know how much you scared me. I don't know what I'd do if you had drowned."

And he hugged me.

That was the last time my dad spanked me. Don't worry though — mom took over after that, and she got really good at it. I used to tell people, right in front of her, "My mom whooped me five out of seven days a week — she'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat saying, 'I forgot to whoop Junior!'"

I actually told that to her nurse four days before she was called home. And just like she always did, she said, "I did NOT spank you that often!"

Well, she lied right up to the end.

But let me tell you all something sincere. I did get into trouble more than my share in life, but of all the whoopings I got, I can't think of but three that I didn't deserve — and one of those I took for my sister Kathi, so I guess I deserved that one for lying.

I grew up to become a sworn Law Enforcement Officer for 27 years. I've been married to my childhood sweetheart for 40 years. We raised three wonderful, successful children, and they have blessed us with all of our grandchildren. I have never gone crazy, never treated anyone with hate in my heart, and I loved my mother right up to the moment she took her last breath — just the same as I loved my dad. I love and miss them both every single day.

So in short — I think I benefited from those spankings.

Now, I am in no way advocating beating or abusing children, or anyone else for that matter. But a little correction is needed from time to time.

Thank you for reading. Don't forget to at least check out our store — it doesn't cost you a thing to look.

May God bless you. 🙏