The Unexpected Gift

On Christmas Day after we had eaten breakfast at my parents' house and done the gift thing, I was getting Christmas dinner ready at my house. When my parents got there they both walked into the kitchen where I was trying to make some organization out of the meal and my dad handed me this blue plastic case and said "I didn't want to give this to you in front of your boys" I honestly looked at the box and thought it was a Dremmel Set. Then I read the front of the box and it said "Springfield Armory". I set the box down and what was in it was my father's .45 stainless steel automatic pistol.

(Springfield Armory 1911-A1 Champion)

Right there, like right now, my eyes filled up with tears and I just looked at him and he nodded.

I just said "Daddy, I can't take your gun."

"The other .45 I have is your brother's and it's time for you to have this one."

I gave him a huge hug and told him he wasn't supposed to make me cry on Christmas. And for the first time in a long time, he actually hugged me back.

Why is this so heart felt for me???? Let me tell you....

I was raised in a home with lots of guns. I shot silhouettes competitively starting at the age of 8 with a .22 rifle. My brother also competed and actually went to the Olympic training center twice. I was raised with a great respect for guns and was taught to be responsible with them at a very young age. Guns and shooting was very much a family activity for the first 12 years of my life.

Any trip we ever went on, my father always...I mean always carried a stainless .45 with him. Not this stainless mind you, but it was always a stainless .45 automatic. When we would go to the practice range, he always let me shoot it before we went home. He always made fun that I could empty a clip faster than anyone he knew....but I always hit the target several times too. At anytime I looked at the top shelf of his closet, there was a stainless .45 right in front with the magazine beside it. Over the years my dad has had hundreds of guns, but that one was always in the front. When methhead pulled the gun on me in Smith's parking lot, I called my dad and told him what happened and that I was waiting for the police, when I got home he had the .45 out just in case methhead decided to visit.

This gun symbolizes to me the respect I have for my father, as a parent, protector and teacher, and for him to pass it on to me I hope means that I have finally earned his respect as well.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

BE SAFE!!

The Unexpected Gift

http://peebugg.blogspot.com/2006/12/unexpected-gift.html