The Heart of a Father. Mary W. Lightfoot (compiled by). The World Publishing Company, New York and Cleveland. 1970

These sorts of findings are unsettling. Earlier in 1972, Bill and Mary had given their mother Far Above Rubies: My Mother. The maturity of the handwriting suggests that Mary, at least, was probably in her teens or older. The books themselves are in very good condition. Based on their entries in my card catalog, I must have gotten them at the Friends of Library Book Sale (in 2013). At that time, it was not at all uncommon for people to donate loved ones’ (there’s an assumption), or one’s own library to the FOL. So we might concoct any number of stories about how these two books of Bill and Mary’s parents’ came to be on a shelf of poetry in my den. I’m sorry to say that I cannot come up with a happy tale.

“Pitch them in the library pile…

• obviously they meant nothing to Mom or Dad, neither of them even cracked the books open.”
• I don’t want them. Do you, Bill?”
• we don’t have room for sentimental stuff in our room at the retirement home.”
• I don’t even know why they thought we’d like crap like this.”

And on that bright note, Happy Father’s Day!