Daddy's Garage - An Oil painting by Barbara Brabec

Daddy's Garage

An oil painting by Barbara Brabec

an oil
painting by Barbara Brabec of

When I was about 20, and into oil painting, I did a small painting of my father's garage and gave it to him for his birthday. He treasured it all his life and, after his death, mother gave it back to me for safekeeping. I include it here as just one more idea for how to "make a memory" of your father. (Some day when I have nothing else to do, I'd like to try my hand at painting again.)

If you decide to give a nostalgic gift like this, be sure to write something to accompany it, as this will make the gift all the more meaningful. In this case, my painting included a little poem:

A friendlier place there’s never been found,

In Buckley, or Paxton, or any old town,

Than Schaumburg’s Garage, with its warm confusion,

Where an interruption is not an intrusion.

It has always been cluttered, with dirt on the floor,

But this doesn’t matter when you walk through the door.

You can usually find a friend that you know,

And you’re welcome to stay until you want to go.

Related article: Make a Father's Memory Box

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