A Gift for Father
()
About this ebook
A farmer in the early 1900's, has taken ill and is unable to maintain the family farm. Greg, the farmer's son, must rise above his youth and take the reigns of the family homestead. But as winter arrives, all Greg wants is to give his father something only God can provide...more time. This touching, 3800-word short story (originally published in the poetry/short story compilation: Inspirations) is sure to bless your heart.
A little history behind this story: I wrote this story as a senior in high school (Grapeland High School - 1991) in the middle of Joy Phillips’ history class. It was a much shorter version than the version represented here. And even though Mrs. Phillips and I got along great, I was supposed to be working on History–not fiction. She took up the hand-scratched pages and locked them away in her desk. I was upset and begged her to give me back my story. Of course, she kept them until the end of the day but I was still in a panic that she'd keep them, or worse, throw them away. I don't know about any of the other Grapeland alumni that remember Mrs. Phillips, but to me she was a sweetheart of a woman and she certainly knew how to rule the classroom. Thankfully, she gave them back with a stern but lighthearted warning, “Don’t let me catch you working on anything but history.”
Anyway, fast-forward to graduation night. My dad made a nice booklet of my story (folded neatly with staples and a nice, glossy piece of artwork for the cover) and I had a copy hidden under my graduation gown to give Mrs. Phillips. I was standing in front of the auditorium and caught Mrs. Phillips before she went into the assembly. I handed her a copy of A Gift for Father and said, “Here Mrs. Phillips. This is the story you almost threw away.” She laughed, took the booklet from my hand, we hugged, she congratulated me on graduating, and then she retreated into the auditorium.
I never entertained the idea that she would read that story during the graduation ceremony, but she did. She found me afterward and there were tears in her eyes and a Kleenex in her hand. All she said was, “Thank you; I’m so glad that I didn't throw it away.” She hugged me again, and then other family and friends demanded our attention.
Mrs. Phillips retired a few years after my graduation and then passed away not long after that. That night at the graduation ceremony was the last time I ever saw her.
I hope this story touches your heart as it did for Mrs. Phillips.
Christopher J. Thomasson
Christopher J. Thomasson was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1972. His family permanently settled in the piney woods of East Texas when he was two years old. He discovered a love for reading and writing at a very young age and until recently, only ever wrote for himself, his family, and his closest friends.In April 2013, at the age of 40, Christopher suffered a mild heart attack while on the tennis court. Within a couple of days, he was undergoing triple-bypass surgery. Because of his love for tennis and the increased active lifestyle the sport provided, the doctors informed him of a miracle–with the clotting in his veins, his heart created new vessels to transport blood to those areas of the heart that were being depleted...and as a result of those new vessels, his heart had sustained no damage!As a result of this experience, Christopher realized that he has more to add to this life than merely existing–he has stories to share.
Read more from Christopher J. Thomasson
Beyond the Closet Door Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJumper Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Game Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInspirations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNuggets Micropoetry Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAverage Joe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Am Nobody Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to A Gift for Father
Related ebooks
Gaters, Skeeters And Malary: Recollections of a Pioneer Florida Judge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sky Club Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBy Invitation Only: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Far North: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hen's Teeth: Short Stories from the Bird Brain Books: The Bird Brain Books, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWinter Is My Middle Name Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFall is Here: Written Tales Chapbook, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsResting In the Bosom Of the Lamb Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComing Home Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Coincidence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Brilliant Career Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5False Witness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Journal: Ash Fall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A River Of Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBending the Rules Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSolstice Surprise Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pedalling Backwards Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrost At Midnight And Other Christmas Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Top Gun's Return Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBen Whistle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Butterfly Cabinet: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Shifters for the Holiday Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsObsidian Dreams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Torc: Artifacts of Avalum, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTo All the Dogs I've Loved Before Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFaces Behind the Dust: The Story Told Through the Eyes of a Coal Miner’S Daughter (On the Black Side) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGabby: The Little Dog That Had to Learn to Bark Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Black Trunk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harvest Home: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Christian Fiction For You
The Stranger in the Lifeboat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Nefarious Plot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge to Haven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fifth Mountain: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Oracle: The Jubilean Mysteries Unveiled Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Someone Like You: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Redeeming Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hinds' Feet on High Places: An Engaging Visual Journey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Beast as Dark as Night: The Winter Souls Series, #4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of Mysteries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pilgrim’s Progress: Updated, Modern English. More than 100 Illustrations. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Next Person You Meet in Heaven: The Sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Present Darkness: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Lineage of Grace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Harbinger II: The Return Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That Hideous Strength: (Space Trilogy, Book Three) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pilgrim’s Progress (Parts 1 & 2): Updated, Modern English. More than 100 Illustrations. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Visitation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Distant Shore: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The End of the Affair Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The White Christmas Inn: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Piercing the Darkness: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Antigone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for A Gift for Father
0 ratings0 reviews