My Fathers Spirit.

[EntirelyOfThisWorld]

I was raised Catholic.  My dad was a Knight of Columbus, mom was a St Vincent DePaul volunteer.  I have been skeptical all of my life, and was a confirmed atheist by the age of seventeen.  My parents were divorced shortly thereafter.  My dad stopped attending and would late in life confide in me that he never totally accepted it, and somewhere in his fifties became an atheist too.  Mom had by this time embraced paganism, mostly out of rebellion, and rationalized by her fractional Native American ancestry (Arizonian).

Mom got the house, and dad built one for himself-he was a journeyman union plumber, and licensed contractor.  He passed away four years ago, and recently his second wife (the Wicked Stepmother) had the good grace to depart this world too.  We have been doing minor repairs to this thirty five year old house preparing to sell it.  It has been hard.

I do not believe in an after life, yet as I go through this now empty structure, I see the old man's hand everywhere; from the impeccably soldered joints on the copper pipes on the thirty five year old boiler in near new condition, to the support column footings he busted out and re-poured, using only a sledge hammer at the age of eighty.

The old man's spirit lives through his work.  I got quite choked up and emotional going through the house today for the first time since it has been completely emptied.  He's gone, and now this house-seemingly ordinary and unpretentious-will pass to strangers who will, in all probability, not appreciate the craftsmanship and passion of the man who left such legacy.

So it goes.

[stromboli]

I apprenticed with an old fellow when I first started working as a welder at Hill AFB. He was a genuine blacksmith, a tool maker, and built odd specialty items for the base like wrought iron staircases. He built a circus sized steam operated Calliope that was used in local parades; he was something of a local legend. I grew up with craftsmen, even old wagon builders in farm country. The handicraft does have a spirit of its own, a sense of the originality of builder. Things like old hand wrought furniture and even hand made knives carry a special feel about them, something imbued by the builder. I totally understand what you mean.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Keep your fond memories. It's just a house, but I get where you're at with it. My dad taught me a lot about working on houses.
My mother lives on in my memories. It's all I have left of her and my dad is 85..

[Plu]

We live on in what we accomplished. It's one of my main motivations for trying to make something of my life, and it's very powerful. Make sure to take some pictures of the house and the most emotional spots, you might like them later.

[WitchSabrina]

We live on in what we accomplished. It's one of my main motivations for trying to make something of my life, and it's very powerful. Make sure to take some pictures of the house and the most emotional spots, you might like them later.

Good suggestion. ^^

Or if it's possible hang onto the house yourself for awhile since you've got good memories there.  I think your dad taught you quite a lot over the years.

[aitm]

My Dad bought an old farmhouse in midstate Michigan and rebuilt it himself for the eight of us. Dad was a mason and never much for finesse, if it didn't fit good it got pounded in. Ha. He believed a saw should do the job in three rotations and a drill equally so. They lived there 50 years. When I returned about four years ago they had been out of it about two and the owners let me walk through it. (everybody in my hometown knew us) I would stifle a laugh as I remember things about how and what he did to that place to avoid scaring the shit out of them.

But as well, fond memories, I have a hand painted picture of the house from a lady years ago who painted it for my mother. It sits under the guest bed because it does not match the colors of the house (via the bitch wife.....).

Off topic, I enjoyed the way you wrote that, it flowed nice and made me smile. You are a good writer.

[EntirelyOfThisWorld]

Thanks for the replies.  Who says atheists have no "soul"?

[Solitary]

My dad was a mason and built two houses we lived in, in Illinois. He was a perfectionist that took pride in his work, this seems to be something lacking in the trades these days. The house I live in now in Arizona looks like the Key Stone Cops built it, and the roof has leaked from day one because it wasn't done right. I don't understand how people can not take pride in the work they do, it must be a long and boring day, month, year, and years, to just work for money.

When my dad was dying he was in the bedroom of the house he built out of hand cut stones. I held his hand and told him it was beautiful day and he was in the house he built with his two hands and not a hospital and to let go while I hold his hand. He closed his eyes and went to sleep for ever.    The house still looks like it is brand new. Solitary

[Shiranu]

So it goes.

Indeed.

While his work may not be actively appreciated, if it is a well-made house the owner's will appreciate it. The sign of a product that works is that no one thinks about it. In that, you might find the greater complement is not a vocal appreciation but the silence of complaints.

We are here, then we are not. However our actions will have an effect on people for generations to come... in that regard, even as an atheist, I find an, almost, sense of greater meaning to life.