When my father died, I was given a gift certificate to a garden center to purchase something special in his memory. My husband and I are both drawn to the peaceful sound of water, so we decided to get a decorative fountain for our backyard.
Standing between two fountains at the garden store, we were having trouble choosing which one to take home. I said, “I wonder which one Dad would like best.” After several seconds of silence, Mike confidently stated, “He likes this one.”
“What makes you think so?” I asked. Pointing to the ground, he said, “Well, he put that penny right in front of it.” Mike stuck the penny in his pocket and after setting up my dad’s fountain, carefully placed the coin in its basin where it remains today. (Mike continues to find coins left by my father, the same way my mom knows every hawk is my dad flying by to say hello.)
The fountain is a lovely reminder of my father. The elegant shape, soothing sound, and inherent symbolism bring me comfort and joy. The continuous flow of the water represents the endless nature of my father’s love and the transcendent mystery of eternity itself.
My father’s fountain also provides a daily reminder of the expression, “Be a fountain, not a drain.” I never heard my dad use this phrase, but it’s a philosophy to which he unwittingly subscribed. My father was always a fountain, never a drain, and he continues to inspire those who loved him to be the same.
Ten Ways To Be a Fountain~
“Deep and wide. Deep and wide. There’s a fountain flowing deep and wide.” ~Hymn by Sidney E. Cox
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