Have you ever thought about how we change our opinions

Have you ever thought about how we change our opinions of our parents through the years? When I was growing up I thought of my father as a hard working laborer, which he was. He ran a dairy farm, put crops in the field and worked as a maintenance worker in a factory. I saw very little of him until I was a teenager. When I was in my teens he sold the cattle and rented out the land. He still worked full time at his factory job. When I was a freshman in college he had a heart attack and stayed home on disability social security.

My mom was always looking for hobbies for him to do to occupy his time because he was used to being very busy. I never thought of my dad as a hobby sort of guy. Mom bought several different craft kits, but dad was not interested in any of them. I was really surprised the when two Christmas after his heart attack the female grandchildren received doll house furniture from my parents. My dad had made the furniture. He had finally found a hobby that he not only enjoyed, but was very good at. The doll house furniture was very detailed. He made tables and chairs, a sofa and bunk beds. My mom sewed small bedspreads and matching curtains for the windows of the bedrooms in the doll house.

My father had very large hands from working so hard during his life. It was amazing to me that he was able to do the delicate work needed to create the small doll house furniture. He had seen patterns for the furniture in a magazine and had sent for them without telling my mother. When they arrived he began making the doll house furniture out of scrap pieces of wood he had in the garage. My mom was surprised that he liked the intricate work. The pieces were small and delicate to work on and the cutting took a great deal of skill. As the years past he not only made the doll house furniture for all the grandchildren, but he also started making multiple pieces to sell at craft sales. He and my mom would travel throughout the area setting up display tables and selling the furniture. He began making the doll houses as well. He enjoyed talking with the other vendors at the craft fairs and he took great pride in the praise he received from customers. I never would have guessed that a hard working farmer would be supplementing his income and filling his time with doll houses and furniture.