Thought for today:
"Today we fly home from Krakow, Poland, after having attended the wedding celebrations of Mr and Mrs William Forde (the second).
It was lovely to see one of my children conclude his marriage union with a ceremony in a Polish Roman Catholic Church. I still recall the day of his Baptism at 'St Aidan's Catholic Church' in Mirfield, thirty years ago. His mother made his Christening gown from the material of her wedding dress.
Every parent likes to see their children follow in the footsteps of the faith in which they were brought up; a faith that has served me well over seventy years.
When William was a child, one of my favourite television programmes was, 'Kung Fu'. Each week after viewing the episode, I would place some tiny object in the open palm of my hand and say to William in a David Carradine voice,' Grasshopper, take the pebble from my hand. When you can take the pebble, then you will be a man and can go about your life's business.'
Alas, William was never quick enough to snatch the pebble before I closed my open palm, but that didn't stop him legging it to Australia when the fancy took him! I also used to tease him with the size of my leather jacket as I placed it around his small shoulders, telling him that he could also keep that garment when he was a man and when his shoulders were broad enough to support it. The jacket was so heavy that his mother used to have to prop up his childlike body in the event of him toppling over. If I still had the jacket, Will, I would now give you it, but as your brother Adam was the first one ever to snatch the pebble from my hand, he also snatched the jacket before legging it to London! Still, grasshopper, I can confirm that you are at last a man; nay, a 'good man'. William Forde Snr.": September 23rd, 2013.
"Today we fly home from Krakow, Poland, after having attended the wedding celebrations of Mr and Mrs William Forde (the second).
It was lovely to see one of my children conclude his marriage union with a ceremony in a Polish Roman Catholic Church. I still recall the day of his Baptism at 'St Aidan's Catholic Church' in Mirfield, thirty years ago. His mother made his Christening gown from the material of her wedding dress.
Every parent likes to see their children follow in the footsteps of the faith in which they were brought up; a faith that has served me well over seventy years.
When William was a child, one of my favourite television programmes was, 'Kung Fu'. Each week after viewing the episode, I would place some tiny object in the open palm of my hand and say to William in a David Carradine voice,' Grasshopper, take the pebble from my hand. When you can take the pebble, then you will be a man and can go about your life's business.'
Alas, William was never quick enough to snatch the pebble before I closed my open palm, but that didn't stop him legging it to Australia when the fancy took him! I also used to tease him with the size of my leather jacket as I placed it around his small shoulders, telling him that he could also keep that garment when he was a man and when his shoulders were broad enough to support it. The jacket was so heavy that his mother used to have to prop up his childlike body in the event of him toppling over. If I still had the jacket, Will, I would now give you it, but as your brother Adam was the first one ever to snatch the pebble from my hand, he also snatched the jacket before legging it to London! Still, grasshopper, I can confirm that you are at last a man; nay, a 'good man'. William Forde Snr.": September 23rd, 2013.
