MY DADDIES HAMMER

3-2-11...MY DADDIES HAMMER

I came across my Daddy's hammer last week. Mamma had it in her apartment. When she moved to the Nursing home I asked her if I could have the hammer. Of course she said yes.

There are so many memories in that old hammer. Someone gave Daddy a new hammer once. He took it and graciously thanked them like we were taught but Daddy never used his new hammer. I asked him why and he said that his old hammer and him had an understanding. “It fits my hand and aims straight”, he said.

I 'Helped'? Daddy build a pair of stilts for us to play with. Every nail was hammered with love for his kids he said. Daddy would sit on his feet in the floor under the Christmas tree and crack nuts with that hammer and a brick. He picked out the nut meats for us to eat. I 'Helped'? Him build the form to use at the dug well. A pulley and rope were used to draw up water from the well in a cylinder bucket.

I remember when the handle had to be replaced because the old one broke while Daddy was pounding nails in the wall of the chicken house. Daddy said that for a while his hammer didn't feel right. I also remember Norman and Paul misplacing it once when they weren't supposed to be playing with it. We all scurried around and found Daddy's hammer.

Daddy used the hammer when he built a dog house for our dog Ol' Tip. He did that for us kids telling us all the time that Tip wouldn't like it. Tip had a bed under the house and never got in his house. Daddy never said I told you so.

I can almost see and feel my Daddy when I pick up that hammer. It has 'Daddy', scratched in the handle with a nail. Yep, I did that. It is messy but my Daddy said he loved it.

Daddy's hammer was retired when he was no longer able to use it. I hope someone will lovingly take care of it when I'm gone. I need to work on that. I sure wouldn't want my Daddy's hammer ever lost again.