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When it comes to finding traits of a good father in Gene, I must be honest - there were a few times that I really questioned his ability to be a good father.
Like the time Lacey was 3 months old, and I finally allowed him to take her on a trail ride. He put her in a backpack, put one arm in the strap and slung the backpack around to catch it with his other arm. When diaper changing times came, he would lay her on the horse's rump. He really got busted when the ladies on the ride caught him standing on the saddle to pick berries off a vine while Lacey was in the backpack, strapped to the saddle horn.
Or the time when Lacey was 7 or 8 months old and went with him to haul some cows. The problem arose when Gene just had to buy this donkey but couldn't fit him in the trailer. His solution was to tie the donkey's legs and put him on the seat of the truck. He then put Lacey in the carseat on top of the donkey. All went well until the donkey got loose and started kicking and jumping. Gene quickly grabbed Lacey and held her out the window until he could find a place to pull off the road. I didn't hear about this one until she was grown.
Or, the time when Lacey was 9 years old. Gene had her driving his truck to follow him home from the pasture, while he was driving the tractor. A State Trooper was about to pull them over, until he saw it was Gene. He just waved and went on.
If you can get past some of these episodes, you can see what a truly great father he is. Gene is not a Dad that stands on the sidelines and watches his kids grow up. He is right there with them. Lacey was with him constantly. She knew how to drive that truck at 9 years old, and she could also drive the tractor. He went to all her softball and volleyball games to cheer her on. When Lacey was too big for the backpack on trail rides, he held her on one arm for hours while she slept. He was in Heaven showing her off. The first time Lacey fell and busted her lip on the coffee table, he cried worse than she did. When Lacey became 15 years old, he had her drive him everywhere he needed to go. When she became 16, he knew she was a good driver.
Lacey has so many fond memories of their time together, of his funny stories, of singing along with him and listening to him sing gospel songs. They were so much in love, I could run away from home and they wouldn't miss me until it was time for supper. He loved to intimidate her new boyfriends by telling them he didn't mind going back to jail.
He learned to have a lot of patience while raising Lacey. She would always remind him “patience, Daddy, patience.” When Lacey got married and the minister asked, “Who gives this woman to be married?”, Gene replied, “Her mother and Patience.”
Every man dreams of having a son. Gene's dreams came true when our son Zachary was born … a healthy 9 lb. 3 oz. baby. Gene had big dreams for Zack. But we soon learned that Zack had a life expectancy of only 2 years. Gene jumped right into the daily care, learning how to tube feed, suction and administer oxygen.
They were so close that when Zack heard his dad's truck pull up to the house, he would fuss until Gene had him in his lap, where they would both take a deep sigh and relax to enjoy the closeness of each other.
Gene still calls to check on Lacey. He comes to her assistance when she has a flat tire. When she calls in the middle of the night, scared because she heard a strange noise, he's in his truck and on his way.
He will always be “Daddy.”
With Love, Lynn
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