My Daddy's limerick about ME!

Some time ago I sent my parents little books entitled "Mom, Share your life with me" and "Dad, Share your life with me." It's an entry-a-day type thing with a different question per day.

Yeah, cheesy, I know. But it's the kind of thing I'm a sucker for.
In the front of each book I wrote that I hoped they wouldn't find it too tedious or silly to do and that I'd love reading it if/when they were done.
Well, my Mum's is still a work in progress, (Apparently! I'm not sure how true this is as she always has her nose in a crossword puzzle, or her book, or her knitting when she is not working around the house so who knows when it would be getting done!!) but on my recent trip home my Dad returned his to me.

It was just before I was leaving and I was too emotional to do more than hug him in thanks, but I have been slowly digesting the contents since getting back to Bermuda.
It is at turns funny, thoughtful, thought-provoking, hilarious, sentimental and above all very wise and FULL of love. And although I've heard stories all my life of my Dad before I 'knew' him, this book is such a treasure trove of glimpses into his life and what he thought and felt about it all.
For instance, I knew he had been in the Royal Air Force but I never knew that he had dreamed of being a pilot his whole young life...not that he actually ever was a pilot, (that fell to my brother, Jonathan, and my Dad lives vicariously through that accomplishment) he was a radar technician.
And he writes an addendum at the end of the book in which he tells his only regret...and it has nothing to do with not flying fighter jets. It is that he didn't spend more time with me and my brothers. I never knew that.

Anyway, the book is so interesting I will be sharing much of it here. These are the memories of a man who grew up during WWII, who went to a Catholic boarding school at age six, who lived a priviledged lifestyle as a young man and then had to make his own 'wealth', a man who loved his family whole-heartedly but struck out - off to the other side of the world (as it seemed then) to come to Bermuda and seek his destiny (of course that's where I get it from!) and make a new family.

The first entry I'll share came from the question, 'Make up a limerick about yourself', and Dad writes:
"Can't think of one now ain't that sad,
Not a very intelligent Dad.
Might have done better when I was a lad,
But at least I tried and for that I'm glad"

The next question asks for a limerick about me, and Dad writes:
"Stephanie was a gorgeous baby, a regular little dearie,
But when she wouldn't sleep at night she made us awful weary.
Now little things like that are soon forgot with just a little smile,
What's not forgot after all these years, it was a trillion times worthwhile.
- Dad"
"sniff"
Aw. GOTTA love my Dad!!