11 Responses

  1. Catherine
    Catherine at |

    Colleen, what a fantastic Dad he was! I think teaching your children to take risks and eliminating fears must be the most valued quality you can give them.
    Personally my father was in the Army, so he was away most of the time and consequently my sister and I were over protected by my Mom against the world. I don’t think I had much fears as I loved sports and the outdoors but “becoming financially independent” hmm… well no. I think I am pretty well-adjusted though.
    Thank your for sharing this with us. I can see why you had no fears going down a zip wire in South Africa!

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  2. Laurie
    Laurie at |

    I love the contrasts in your father. I know about the Mennonite side, the harshness and biblical rigidity, but I didn’t know that he was such a feminist though I’m sure he’d shoot me with a rubber band if he heard me say that. These stories are so wonderful.

    I was a scrapper as a kid and it was amazing how everything balanced out. I punched a boy following me around like a puppy in grade 2… and in grade 10 he asked me to give me a hand helping him and the boy two doors down to fix a lawnmower. He pointed to a part and said, ‘hold that’, pulled a cord, and I got how many volts of retribution via the sparkplug between my fingertips. I’ve always admired him since for his long game and quiet elegance of solutions.

    I also remember a time that the neighbour boys across the street – 2 and 3 years older than me – used to beat me up in full view of their front window in the culdesac we shared. George hauled off and bare-knuckled my mouth, which was full of braces, and my face swelled up like a blowfish. I returned the favour via a righteous black eye and figured we were square.

    Then his mother (whom I still keep in touch with today) called me over for a tongue lashing as I stood below her on the porch dripping blood from my chin; I’ll never forget looking up as she leaned out the skinny side window of their livingroom, gently chastising me for nearly ‘putting out George’s eye’ while the sun shone like an accusatory mirror from the sky behind her head.

    I was not a victor, or a bully, and was more likely to lose than win, but I enjoyed those scrappy days. Looking back on them brings a certain kind of satisfaction that I wasn’t a victim, or a crybaby, or cringing away from everything all the time. I wouldn’t change any of it.

    I’m glad your dad raised you the way he did – you’re an amazing person to know.

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  3. Edna Yasinowski
    Edna Yasinowski at |

    HI Cousin — Love your stories — Memories are so precious and we have them forever.

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  4. Michele Peterson
    Michele Peterson at |

    Great memories of a remarkable man, Colleen. When I was in Grade 3 my father taught me how to throw a punch and, after being bullied by an older boy ( and his 3 burly brothers) for several weeks, I finally decided to give my boxing lessons a try. So the next time the boy threatened me I did as my Dad had showed me and delivered a sound punch to his nose. I was so surprised to see a bloodied nose, I ran straight in our house and locked the door. But the boy gave me a wide berth after that. Later, all I had to do was tell kids I had taken boxing lessons and they’d leave me alone. You’ve got to the love the 1960s!

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  5. Mabel Friesen
    Mabel Friesen at |

    Colleen those are such wonderful memories and I’m sure you treasure them more as time goes by.

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  6. Lynnette
    Lynnette at |

    Awwww catching up on your blog after a long while away from reading anything online at all. I’ve missed it, and you. What a beautiful story.

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