What's in Your Wallet?

When my dad died in 1989 there was one photograph in his wallet.

It was a picture of him in the uniform of a Army private in 1944 along with my mother and my older sister. The love a good father has for his firstborn child is not diminished by time, distance, or even rebellion. My sister made many bad choices from my parent's perspective. But my dad never, ever quit loving her.

She made one final bad choice after marrying for the upteenth time and appearing to have her life together. She took her own life at the age of 36. But my dad never, ever quit loving her.

When I was little I thought my dad was perfect. I remember when I was about 5 or 6 asking my mother, "Is Daddy God?" She was a little flummoxed by the audacity of such a question, even from a small fry, and pointed out a flaw or two as evidence that he was not Divine. But you know, no matter what choices we make, our Heavenly Father never stops loving us. Just like my dad.

Be good to yourselves.

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