December 10, 1973

We sat around the big coffee table trying to grasp it! It can't be true! It's all a bad dream. Daddy's bigger than life. He's gonna come down the hall in his dress shirt, boxer shorts and socks. He'll be making jokes and cutting off bites of his apple for anyone lucky enough to be in the same room with him. What a presence he was! His quiet dignity, gentle manner and calming influence were balanced with a wicked sense of humor. That mischievous grin could make you laugh out loud when remembering past conversations hours or days later. Daddy was our hero. He could leap tall buildings. He could fix any problem and handle any situation.

Rhett Woody, Sr., was smart and ambitious. He came from New Hope to Huntsville with a little loose change in his pocket and a dream to be successful. And, oh the success he achieved! "Mr. Rhett" was highly respected and everyone knew of him and his businesses; furniture stores and a drive-in-theatre. He quietly shared the fruits of his labor with family, extended family and those in need. He supplied the funds for our friends to go on class trips, vacations, state fairs, any circus that came to town (he couldn't bear the thought of a a child missing the circus), school supplies and college tuitions. He came up with mortgage payments, money for much needed medical care and utility bills without ever expecting a "thank you". He did all this with no fanfare. Much of it we discovered at his funeral when people came out of the woodwork to pay tribute to him and relate how he had saved them in their time of need. We were, and still are, so proud to be his children.



He could always whip the four of us in shape by saying, "don't you realize what you mean to me, I couldn't go on if something happened to you. You have really disappointed me." With that he would exit the room and we would collapse in tears and shame. I know of only two occasions when he ever laid a hand on one of us in anger. And, needless to say it was well deserved.

Poppy and Ma (as the grandchildren called them) had a love affair that few (maybe 5 to 10) couples ever experience. They were loyal, faithful and totally in love with each other. We would giggle as they smoothly danced (with eyes only for each other) across the floor whenever they heard "their type of music." We were so fortunate to witness, and be showered with, that kind of love. Returning from his funeral, Mama said, "Up until the day he died, my heart still skipped a beat when I heard his car pull in the driveway."

On this day I want to honor him and "wallow" in the wonderful memories he left. Thank you my blog buddies for allowing me to do that.