Remembering my dad, James Kelsey
Daddy was a man who loved his family, a man who cried easily, and who loved to tease and tell stories that were somewhat true. Daddy didn’t have much use for people who kissed ass, and he didn’t have any use at all for wearing underwear. He liked chocolate cake with a glass of milk, and he was always ready to have a good time. Daddy was outspoken, and he’d let you know what he thought about something, whether you wanted his input or not. He said what was on his mind in any situation, and sometimes it was what you wanted to say, but were too polite, or too scared to say yourself. He was always ready to tell a joke, and he made everyone laugh. He didn’t mind embarrassing me either, and he’d often pass gas at very inopportune times, such as the first time I introduced him to my husband Frank, and he blessed us with a silent but deadly one. I'm pretty sure he blamed me for it, too.
When I was a kid, he’d be up early on Sunday morning, sitting at the kitchen table, listening to the radio and reading the newspaper, and he’d pull out the funny paper section for me. He liked to play games, and he taught me and my brother Chris how to play poker, rook, gin and moon. One of the best gifts my dad gave to me and Chris was his love of music. He listened to music constantly throughout his life, and he liked to ponder the meaning of song lyrics, and he made us ponder them too. He knew all the words to many, many songs, and he liked to sing, but he wasn’t a good singer at all. He made me and Chris like to sing too though, and we are carrying on the tradition, singing along to all our favorite songs that we know by heart.
Some of the best times I remember with my dad are back when we first moved to Seguin, and he and mom would take us tubing on the Guadalupe River or to the dances at Gruene Hall and the Crystal Chandelier. He rode the Greased Lightnin’ roller coaster with me when I was ten, and he was there in the room when my oldest son was born. He bought me my first computer, and he kept me on his cell phone plan until I was thirty years old. He liked to irritate me, often calling me up just to try to get a rise out of me. He was a great papa and spent so much time with my kids when they were growing up.
At the end, Daddy was in hospice, and there was lots of family that came to see him before he had to go. I found myself alone with Daddy at one point, and I was glad, because I had something weighing on me that I wanted to say. I held his hand, and I told my daddy that I loved him, and that I wouldn’t trade him for any other daddy, and then I asked him, while I still had the chance, “Daddy, you always liked me better than Chris, didn’t you? If that’s true, squeeze my hand right now.” Ok, Chris, STOP READING AT THIS POINT. Y’all, he squeezed my hand SO hard. And I was SO happy, because finally I knew he liked me the best. Ok, so that part of the story isn’t true, but I wouldn’t be James Kelsey’s daughter if I didn’t tell you a story that was only somewhat true.
