In the Words of a Youngster

4 Years: My Daddy can do anything.

7 Years: My Dad know a lot, a whole lot.

11 Years: My Father doesn’t know everything.

13 Years: Oh well, naturally, Father doesn’t know everything.

16 Years: Father? Hopelessly old-fashioned.

19 Years: Oh that man is out of date. What did you expect?

25 Years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much.

30 Years: Must find out what Dad thinks about it.

35 Years: A little patience, let’s get Dad’s meaning first.

50 Years: What would Dad have thought about it?

60 Years: My Dad knew literally everything.

65 Years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.

My family has this hanging in our kitchen and has for a number of years.

It's always meant a lot to me and I think it's right on target except that for some of us, the timeline is a little quicker.

We recently lost our father, Joseph Lee Kidwell, and this little poem has come to mean even more to me.

I'm now 34 and I think constantly, I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.