Things I learned from my father

Gladys Allen Stancil, Carla Anne Stancil,
 Carl Donald Stancil - 1962

When I think about the things I learned from my father, two things come to mind. Tidiness and kindness. 

Being a career Marine, daddy was organized, neat, and a bit of a minimalist. His closet was organized, his "skivvies" were folded and put away just so, and his shoes were always lined up in the closet perfectly. Spit shined, of course. Thankfully, I inherited that trait, although I think it sometimes borders on OCD. 

One time, daddy was helping me move into the place I would live my senior year in college. I was unpacking and putting things away when he commented "you like everything in its place and a place for everything". He had me pegged and 35 year later it's the same. I like my home clean and orderly. I don't function well in chaos.

Carl Donald Stancil, 2004

Far more important that tidiness, the most wonderful thing I learned from my father was tolerance and kindness. He rarely met someone he did not like, or if he did he kept it to himself. He'd often say "he/she is good people" when referring to someone he respected.  He smiled often. Like all the time. He was the first to volunteer if a friend needed a hand. 

I discovered just how much love was in him when my son was born. He loved, loved, loved, that grandson. He loved rocking him, feeding him, burping him, taking him for rides, taking him to school and back, and even changing his diaper. Daddy even organized his living room so that Cam's diapers and supplies were well stocked and stacked for action.

When he passed away, I eventually found the wherewithal to look in his wallet to see if there was anything we would need to handle his estate. There I found FOUR very tightly and neatly folded $100 bills organized just so in the wallet along with his license (on top of course) followed by his insurance cards and this picture of me:

Carla Stancil 1976