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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Remembering Dad

Dad in Deauville, France.

Tomorrow is Father’s Day.
Today would have been my father’s birthday. If he was still around. But he's been gone many years ago.

On this particular weekend, I remember him fondly.
He was a quiet, kind, intellectual man, always busy at his desk, writing. When I was small I could never understand why he wrote so much, and when I asked, he’d say he was correcting his students’ assays. I thought his students had too much homework. Or sometimes he composed books, not fun books I could read but very serious, boring for me, literary critiques of famous dead authors. At other times, he’d be looking in the air, thinking and then scribbling, erasing, and re--writing. And I knew it was a poem for my mother. Dad wrote a whole book of poems about my mother’s beautiful eyes, telling her she was his princess and he was her knight.

When I told him, I, too, wanted a poem, he read those he’d written especially for me. At six, I was so proud to show my whole class two of my very own poems. Except my friends didn’t understand the words. I didn’t either, but I loved their sound. Almost like music.
As I grew up, I admired him so much and wanted to write like him, but he insisted I should go into a scientific career. After my early retirement as a chemist, I gave in to my love of writing romance. I inherited from Dad his love of books, his writing talent, and his ability to read fast.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Mona--what a sweet touching tribute to your father. Thanks for sharing your memories and your photos.

Morgan Mandel said...

It's easy to see where you got your talent!

Thanks for sharing you Dad with us, and the photos.

Also, love your new book's cover!

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Mona Risk said...

Thank you Celia. He was well-known in his field and yet so humble. I have his books and feel bad because I haven't read them. I tried several times, maybe one day.

Mona Risk said...

Thanks Morgan for stopping by.Dad had so much faith in me, it sometime scared me. He always thought I could achieve high goals, and I was always afraid to disappoint him.
Glad you like the new cover.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

A man who writes love poems for his wife...ah, now there's a hero. Great post, Mona. I can see why you remember him fondly.

Caroline Clemmons said...

Mona, that is such a nice tribute to your dad. My dad inspired me to write. He died before I was published in book form, but he was so pleased when I was editor of my school paper and won a state award. I know he would love that I write books. His tales of his ancestors moving from Georgia to Texas and events thereafter generated my love of Texas history. Aren't we lucky we had great dads?

Maggie Toussaint said...

How nice that your father wrote poetry for his favorite girls. I was touched by your words about him.

Maggie

Mona Risk said...

Vonnie, you know about men who write nice words for their wives!

Mona Risk said...

Yes, Caroline we are very lucky to have Dads who inspired us. I wish he could have read my books. He died before I even made it in chemistry. I was always the little girl in whom he had faith. He never saw the woman who made it.

Mona Risk said...

Thank you Maggie.