SPECIAL PEOPLE - A LEGACY

A MAN WHO LEFT A LEGACY

The words that follow may be some of the hardest I will ever write. I think most of you who read this will either know this Special Person personally, or know him through the legacy he left in this world. My preference would be that you all could have known him personally, even as his children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews knew him.

Henry Calvin Wallace, Henry Jr.,(even though we wasn't a junior) Pete, Petey, Daddy, Brother'n Law, Uncle Pete, Pa Paw Pete, Chief, Honey...I've heard lots of different names for him, all spoken either in respect or love, or both.

All three of us kids have stories we could tell about him until the cows come home I know, and probably most of you do, too. A few that come to my mind include:

...the sound of a belt popping through belt loops after lights out (right in the middle of a spit ball fight across the room, guys..)
...the sound of that same belt hitting the side of the bath tub (instead of our backsides, where it should have been) I don't think he actually spanked us, well me, anyway.
...the sound of that same belt across the back seat of the car along with the words, "don't make me pull this car over". Like he needed to. That belt knew just where to go. The back seat looked like an evacuation zone. We were all on the floor board. (That was before click-it-or-ticket)
...his voice, along with Uncle Valmond's, pushing grand pa Wallace's buttons about, well okay, we won't go there, but you all remember, right?
...the times I made coffee for him and took it out to the back yard. He always asked me if it burned my tongue, if not, it wasn't hot enough.
...clearing the front yard of the neighborhood guys was easy, it only took the red chief car coming down the street. Thanks daddy, I never did live that down. Someone must have been the scout because they all flew into Myra's yard at one time.
...marking out and pouring the basketball court in the back yard, along with the help of Unc and the boys, I'm sure.
...teaching us all by example about hard work, ethics, integrity and his faith.
...teaching us how to love our children and grandchildren, also by his example
...how to love and care for our Mother through the years. We all remember the latter years, but what about those early ones when he worked two or three jobs to keep us with food on the table and clothes to wear and not the best of worldly possessions, but family times to remember
...times that included trips to "the country", and to the camp
...college educations, vehicles when we needed them, an inheritance much greater than money, one that included his whole life.

I could go on and on but I want to post this while it is still Father's Day. I wish I had one more to share with him. Bub, and Bub (oh, do we sound like we are from deep East Texas, or what), here are a couple pictures to remember the good times.

What was the joke? Just sharing a good ole cook out with daddy

Okay, Wayne, what's with the hair?? (oh wait, is that Elvis?)

This is my all time favorite picture. I wish it weren't so dark, but it was taken in the swamps of Louisiana. It was on daddy's 60th birthday and we were having a birthday toast. Yes, that IS me, believe it or not. Oh the good ole days. Any stories or remembrances you all have are welcome.

LOVE TO ALL