My new neighbor is very clever.

[southernyankeebelle]

36. That reminds me of a lovely story about my dad. He was 50 yrs old retired from the military.

We lived in Dundalk, Maryland in a rented row home. My sister was about 11 yrs old and my little brother was 4 yrs. My parents had these 2 kids late in life after having 4 kids already. He like to sit on the porch and the people with their kids would walk by going to the 7-11 to buy junk food and drinks. Sometimes my dad would joke with a kid and say can I have a drink. Sometimes the kid would stop and want to share their drink. I dad would laugh and tell him he was only playing with him but thanked him anyway. Sometimes Dad would take the kids and us older kids and go across the street and play softball. It was a hugh empty field. Kids would come by and ask if they could play and he would say sure and tell him to go stand over there or over here. It was so much fun. It got to be where the neighborhood kids would come over and ask if our daddy could come out and play. My little sister got to be jealous for a little bit and told daddy why couldn't their own daddies come out and play. Dad would tell them maybe their dads are still at work. She fell for it. Well my little sister ended up on a ball team. Daddy would go all the time and it game our mother a break. Well daddy got really sick and ended up in the hospital. One day while momma was with him his temp spiked very high and he was bleeding and they couldn't stop it. He died. Many of the kids in the neighborhood came to the funeral home and my little sister's team came also. It was difficult on my little sister and little brother. It was hard on us older kids. I mean I was 22. It took a long time before I could even talk about my dad without crying. Now I remember the wonderful times and how lucky I was to have wonderful parents.

Kids make you feel alive.