I can still remember back when I was in high school.. and my Dad would yell at me to turn the bass down on my stereo.. or help me with fixing a used car that we got for me to drive... and I remembered for sure learning to drive stick shift... without even being in my car!!! It was a very unique process... he had cut out the "H" design in the top of a shoebox and used a short stick, probably a part of a broomstick my Mother is still looking for... and he put an apple, orange, and a banana on the floor representing the clutch, brake and gas... So he would yell out "Press down on the banana and let up slowly on the apple!!!" Pretty interesting way to learn how to drive stick!!! But it worked... I drove stick until my daughter was born..!!
He was always stern, domineering, and strict .. the one who I always knew would be administering the punishments, reprimanding and always delivered the consequences... "Wait till you Father gets home!!" and I knew it wasn't going to be good.... and pretty much when that was said ... it WAS NEVER GOOD... !! But that was my Dad... and I could ALWAYS count on ... the strictness of the discipline.. all the time!!!
There was one other incident that stood out in my mind... when my brother and I were probably right around middle school age... and the "policy" was.. that if he or my Mother could figure out who did what ever it was wrong... that the BOTH of us would get the "belt!!"... a punishment that I will ALWAYS remember... ANYWAY... this type of incident occurred .. and we were BOTH on the chopping block... My Dad stood there... and looked us BOTH in the eye... and asked "Okay which one of you is responsible... ???" We both wouldn't say a word and just stood there.... NOT A WORD WAS SPOKEN... TOTAL SILENCE... so with that done ... my Father reached for the belt... to yank it out of the loops on his Bermuda shorts... and much to our surprise... as soon as the belt was "YANKED" out... the shorts DROPPED TO THE GROUND!!!! I believe that ALL of us .. including my Father were in COMPLETE SHOCK!!!.. and we all broke out into a complete LAUGHTER BREAKDOWN... and totally forgot why it was we were getting the "belt!!!" Amazing and interesting ... but true... God sure was on OUR side that day... Haha... !!! But like I always say "Its all good.... !!"
We were really not that close but then again... we were and we had our moments... he already knew things.. that I didn't even have to say out loud... it was already "understood"... all he had to do was look at me.. and say "You okay??"... I just nodded ... He knew it was okay...
I spent the last weeks of this month and the beginning of August ... realizing, thinking, remembering and reflecting... speaking to people I haven't seen in quite sometime.. and some I didn't even know.. but they knew Dad... and they came to show their respect and love... and we are all grateful for the times we had.. and spent with my Dad... it seems weird... knowing that he is gone.. and probably giving orders out in heaven.... A very wonderful true friend gave me a book "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper... what a truly awesome story... God truly is REAL .. in our lives... it really made me think... ALOT
I have lost many loved ones these past 12 months... and they will ALL BE TRULY MISSED... but I know in my heart that they are at peace and living in a wonderful place..
I can say now that I am glad... to finally be at peace.. with knowing that my Dad is at peace ....
Aloha & A Hui Hou...
