"My Favorite Picture of my Father"
by Joseph Vincent Abbate, Jr.
           The picture that you see to the right,
    blurred though it may be and faded over time,
    is the favorite picture that I have of my father.
    Though I am not sure of the location (or even
    the name of the dog in the picture), I do know
    that it was snapped some time near the end
    of World War II. But even that does not
    explain why it is so special to me.
            The reason I cherish this picture is
    because it shows what kind of man my father
    was.  It is a rare and special glimpse into his
    heart, something that he did not easily share
    with others.
father grew up inthis country dearly. As a result, he quit
high school, this country dearly. As a result, he quit high
school, school, lied about his age, and enlisted in the
Army Air Corps lied about his age, and enlisted in the Army
Air Corps Air Corps where he worked in electronics,
repairing where he worked in electronics, repairing the
radios the radios of our military aircrafts. He served in of
our military aircrafts. He served in France, Italy, France,
Italy, and Germany toward the end of the war and Germany
toward the end of the war after the bulk of the fighting had
ended.
after the bulk of the fighting had ended.
of the fighting had ended.

           Several years after returning home, he married
    my mother and began his quest toward the American
    Dream, something that he helped to defend along
    with the other brave people of his era.
            Shortly thereafter, I showed up, and he began
    his new role in life, that of my teacher.
           Over the course of our years together, my father taught me
    many things, all out of love: love of the land, love of God's
    creatures, love of our country, and a deep and powerful love of
    family.  Somewhere around 1960, he showed me another love as he
    drove me to Yankee Stadium where I first saw my "second best
    hero," Mickey Mantle.  I shall always be grateful to my father for all
    of these loves and all of the joy they have brought to my life.
           But why this picture?  Why is it so special
    among the many that I have of him? That's easy to
    explain.
            You see, many people saw my father as being
    "cold" or "gruff."  He grew up in a time when men
    did not show their feelings, let alone feelings of
    love. Oh, his heart was large, all right - large and
     filled with love, but sometimes you had to dig deep
    to see it.
           Those of us who knew him well will understand what I am saying, for we had
    the opportunity to see his love over the years.  And to those who did not know
    him well, I offer the above photo - where my father has his guard down and is
    playing with a puppy.  This is his heart on display, and I am proud to show it to the
    world.
            This one's for you, Dad.  I miss you more than words can ever express.

            ~ Joe, Jr.


 cross      
Joseph Vincent Abbate, Sr. (July 27, 1926 - February 4, 2006)
© First United Methodist Church, Fulton, New York
Web Design by Joe Abbate
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