From My View: Karen Hamilton
This will be my first family holiday without my father, which is immediately followed by his birthday. Though I am very thankful for all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon me…November is bittersweet this year.
As I think about how much more he will be missed in the coming weeks, I can’t help but think about all he has taught me, and some of the things I wish I would have taken more time to learn from him.
My favorite “dad”itude was “You’re a Martin. You can do anything. If I tell you a turkey can pull a buggy, hook him up!” I can still hear him saying those words as if it were yesterday.
His encouragement and attitude made me a believer – in myself, in family and in the power of a positive attitude. He has four girls, but he never treated us any less for not being the boy he always wanted. He was our champion, our encourager…the one who always told us that we could do ANYTHING!
As the oldest of 13 children raised on a farm in North Louisiana, my father learned to be a self-starter. He had an amazing capacity to grow and build things that I wish I would have learned from him.
I missed out on a lot of time with my dad growing up since my parents divorced when I was five, but that made summers, holidays and Martin family reunions all the more special! It’s nothing to have 100 or more people at a family reunion.
He was the first of the siblings to leave us behind. Losing my dad made me truly appreciate my large family. Through his death, I’ve grown closer to some of my many aunts and uncles, and now cherish even more the memories we have of him with my sisters and other family.
My father always looked for opportunity and was never afraid to try something new. At age 77, Parkinson’s Disease had confined him to getting around in a motorized chair. Despite his age and mobility, my father decided to climb up a three-story playground and go down the slide at last year’s family reunion. Classic David Martin!
Daddy made me believe that being a Martin was special. It is and it always will be to me. I’m so grateful for a heritage of encouragement, love and family.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
