My Dad Drastically Changed Our Lives after His Death

Jade learns that a straightforward family custom had far greater significance than any of them had ever imagined as she and her family get together to commemorate their father’s tenth anniversary of passing away.

My family is very typical, if you may say so. My dad was a librarian, and my mother is an almost-retired English teacher. We grew up reading novels over the dinner table, of course.

I was raised by two brothers and currently live as an adult with my spouse, Ethan, and our two girls. Ethan is a builder and I’m a nurse, so that’s pretty usual, huh?

My dad and I used to have a weekend ritual when we were kids.

He would say, “Come on, Jade,” while holding a box of beads. “It’s our time!”

And we’d gather together at the coffee table to create bracelets. The beads weren’t very cute and were either plastic or glass, depending on what Dad bought, so I always felt it was a weird little custom.

It was just not my dad’s love language, thus he never expressed his love for us. Rather, he preferred to spend time with us and give us books that he knew we would enjoy.

Even though I’m thirty-six years old today, I can’t help but look back to when I was twelve and liked crafting those weird bracelets. Now that my father has died of multiple sclerosis, I give it more thought.

It was my dad’s tenth death anniversary recently, and Mom wanted to have a meal as a family with all of us.

“I just need to have all of you over for the day, Jade,” she added. “It’s difficult, and having the grandkids here will bring me joy.”
That defies argumentation.

That day, meanwhile, my brothers and their families and I all went over to Mom’s house for a backyard cookout.

A BBQ, since Dad’s favourite Sunday activity was to stand by the grill with his tongs and enjoy the meal.

My mom was getting the happiness she desired from the kids as they ran around, jumped in and out of the pool, and ate popsicles.

The conversation eventually shifted to my dad’s memories.

My elder brother, Travis, continued by describing how our father had taught him how to ride a bike.

“He always let go too soon, and that’s how I ended up with those scrapes on my knees and arms,” Travis chuckled. “But hey, I learned how to do it!”

The middle child, Adam, talked about how his father used to counsel him on relationships.

“Oh man,” with a laugh. Though it was always so corny, the advise was excellent! It worked even though I didn’t think it would.”
It was eventually my chance to contribute. Even while I enjoyed spending time with my relatives and listening to their anecdotes about my father, I was heartbroken over his passing.

“My favourite thing is definitely the bracelet making,” I replied. “The dad jokes were the best!”

“What prevented the sapphire from attending school? It was too preoccupied being a gem—that one was amazing!” I chuckled. What did the jade say to the diamond in the other instance? “I feel so envious!”

In contrast, my mother went pale while my brothers laughed through their drinks.

“Where are those bracelets?” With a whisper, Mom enquired.

“I’m not sure,” I said incoherently. “I think in the basement, with the Halloween costumes.”

She excused herself to make a phone call without saying anything else.

“We need to find those bracelets now.”

I went to the basement with my mother, even though it made no sense. After going through a few boxes, we eventually discovered an old, dusty bag behind an old couch.

“I think this is it,” I murmured.
There were ten bracelets inside, each with a different stone pattern. I could recall every single one of them, but not the large gemstone that rested in the centre of the sticky plastic beads.

It appeared to be extremely different.

Mom asked me to take her to a jeweller the following day. All the big stones from the bracelets were in a small jewellery box she had.

The jeweller declared, “These are worth thousands of dollars.” “Where did you get them from?”

As it happens, my amazing father who is a librarian had bequeathed us a little wealth in the shape of bracelets with stones concealed within.

Once we arrived at Mom’s place, she poured me some tea and started telling me the real story.

“I recalled a conversation I had with your grandmother yesterday, when we were discussing Dad and the bracelets. She inquired as to whether I had handed the ‘precious stones’ to you and your brothers. I didn’t know what she was discussing. But everything clicked when you were discussing those dad jokes.”
My father discovered them in his early twenties while participating in an archaeological dig as a requirement for a course he had enrolled in, Grandma informed Mom.

“The course stipulated that anything found be taken,” Mom said. “So your father took them as a safety net for this family.”
This revelation altered not only our financial circumstances but also our perception of Dad. We invested in our futures and paid off debts. To assist families who were struggling to rebuild their lives after losing a loved one, Mom wrote a proposal for a charity.

My mother demanded that my brothers and I each take a jewel.
“Hold it and transform it into something. Make use of it to honour your father,” she remarked.

I mounted my stone on a ring I wear every day. Especially as the sunshine glinted off the diamond, I wanted my father to be right there beside me.

I now realise that my father infused something I took for granted—making bracelets—with his love and care during those fleeting moments. My father was a straightforward man who devoted his life to imparting his vast knowledge and who loved reading. He was just a man who wanted to keep his family safe, though, above and above all of that.
Family customs hold great significance, and I’m actively searching for unique activities to engage in with my girls.