Daily Archives: April 3, 2013

We all need heroes, and mine was my father, William Pelle Fortney.  I have a lot of memories of my father, but some of the best were strangely enough, from the visitation before his funeral. We never know what an impact we’ve had on the lives of others until we are gone.  That’s when our family hears from others what should have been said to us in life.  The following are statements that I can remember clearly that were made to me by his friends and family members, on that night almost 20 years ago.

 

“Your father was always kind to me, he never was too busy to talk with me and listen to my cares and concerns….”

 

“I don’t know that I have ever known a more honest man of integrity and character, you were fortunate to have him as your father….”

 

“”I can never remember him every saying a harsh or unkind word to anyone!”

 

“Your father never asked us to do anything at work, that he was not willing to do himself…”

 

“I knew your father really cared about me, he was a wonderful man….”

 

“I lost a great friend….”

 

“Your father truly lived a Chrisitian life…..”

 

“Your father was like a second father to  me when I was in the  Boy Scouts….”

 

 

When my father was buried and I went home I went into my bedroom, alone and wept, for a long time. When I got control of myself, I got down on my knees at the bed just as I did as a little child to say my evening prayers with my father by my side, and talked to him.  I told him I hoped he could hear me, and I was so glad his suffering was over, but that I missed him, and didn’t know how I was going to go on without him.  I thanked him for being a great Dad, and I made him a promise.  I told him, that with God’s help, I was going to try and be the kind of man he had been.  I promised that I wouldn’t ever forget what a difference he had made in my life, and my brother Homer’s life, and I wouldn’t forget how much he had touched not only our lives, but the lives of so  many others.  I confessed that I didn’t think I could be the man he had been, but that I would never stop trying. I told him I loved him, and cried some more…..

 

I don’t know if those that have gone on to be with the Lord can hear us, or know what is happening down here.  Some days when I’ve done good, I hope my father can see me, I want him to be proud of me, other days I hope he can’t!  I know my Heavenly Father sees everything, and I want to believe He shares with my earthly father what he would want him to know.

 

My father set a standard for me that I may never be able to live up to, but in encouraging me to try,  he has made me a better man.  Anyone that does that for you is a hero.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

About The Image:  When I was a young boy my father was the manager of a Coca Cola Bottling plant in Harlan, Kentucky.  Many of my great memories are of going to the plant and watching the bottling process.  Later in life I actually had my first two summer jobs working in the plant as a teenager.  To this day I am still a big Coca Cola memorabilia fan.  My father’s Coca Cola apron still hangs in my darkroom, as a reminder of who I strive to be, as a man.