Lordy, Lordy – my daddy loved his dogs.
Daddy with his bird dog in his lap, his open Bible on the table,
and his hunting gun leaning in the background
The first and last memories of my daddy always include his love for his dogs, his family, his church and public education; and I’m pretty sure I have those in the right order. He was an outdoorsman, a quail hunter during season so the dogs we had were supposedly purebred pointers, but they never succeeded in the field because they couldn’t get used to the sound of guns since they spent their lives indoors sitting in his lap.
Daddy and his dog Dab watching a Longhorn football game on TV
Daddy holding Seth while Dab relaxes in his own chair
This is how I remember my daddy – impeccably dressed in coordinated shirt, tie, jacket and slacks on his way to work or to church, but never too busy to say goodbye to one of his dogs.
My daddy, Dr. Glenn L. Morris, died way too young at the age of 51 on June 30, 1976. I remember him on every Father’s Day and all the days in between – still.
Cancer was the culprit for the loss of my father, and yesterday cancer claimed a friend of ours, Consuelo Heath, who also waged a long brave battle against this disease. Pretty and I send our sympathy and love to her wife Lynda Parker. Rest in peace, Consuelo.
Stay tuned.
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About Sheila Morris
Sheila Morris is a personal historian, essayist with humorist tendencies, lesbian activist, truth seeker and speaker in the tradition of other female Texas storytellers including her paternal grandmother.
In December, 2017, the University of South Carolina Press published her collection of first-person accounts of a few of the people primarily responsible for the development of LGBTQ organizations in South Carolina. Southern Perspectives on the Queer Movement: Committed to Home will resonate with everyone interested in LGBTQ history in the South during the tumultuous times from the AIDS pandemic to marriage equality.
She has published five nonfiction books including two memoirs, an essay compilation and two collections of her favorite blogs from I'll Call It Like I See It. Her first book, Deep in the Heart: A Memoir of Love and Longing received a Golden Crown Literary Society Award in 2008. Her writings have been included in various anthologies - most recently the 2017 Saints and Sinners Literary Magazine. Her latest book, Four Ticket Ride, was released in January, 2019.
She is a displaced Texan living in South Carolina with her wife Teresa Williams and their dogs Spike, Charly and Carl. She is also Nana to her granddaughter Ella James born 10-01-2019. Born in rural Grimes County, Texas in 1946 her Texas roots still run wide and deep.
Your father love for his doggies touches my heart. How wonderful is that! I am so sorry for everyone who cancers steals life from.
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Thanks, Cindy…and amen to that.
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Way too young. You can judge anyone by their love (or lack of) of animals. Your Dad was a good man.
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I couldn’t agree more about judging anyone by their love for animals. Think DT – who has none, thank goodness.
My dad was a really good man. You would have liked him.
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I’m sorry for your loss. A lovely tribute to your dad.
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Thank you so much.
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Beautiful tribute to your dad, Sheila. I’m sure you take after him in your love of dogs. He sounds like a really wonderful guy.
And the only place you lost me for a moment here was finding out he was a Longhorns fan. BOOMER SOONER! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!)
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A lovely memory of your Dad, sorry to hear of your friend 💕 love and hugs to you xx Charlotte
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Thanks so much, Charlotte.
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