Remembering Sundays

Growing up in Gig Harbor our mother would take us to church most every Sunday mornings. Dad would help us get ready putting on our Sunday’s best however he did not go to church. We went to St. John’s Episcopal Church which mother still attends today.

Like most kids I am sure I did not get a whole lot out of church except hearing stories about Jesus along with David and Goliath. I am sure we heard about Moses as well in Sunday school.

Mother told me about an occasion at church and I am sure I was around eight years old when my brothers Dick and Jack along with me we sat up near the front of the church. She told me she had to take a year off from singing in the choir because Father John the minister at the time was not very happy with us. The thing was that we interrupted his sermon. I am sure he had something really profound to say. Anyway I was sitting in the middle of my brothers. You see we sat according to our ages and since I was the middle child I was in the middle. At that age I was restless so I could not stay still for very long. You see that irritated Dick so he started shoving me so I would stop being restless. Of course it was not part of my DNA to stop. Under the circumstance Father John stopped in his sermon and scolded us. This is the reason mother spent the rest of the year sitting with the three of us. Mom told me if she had to do it over again she would have had Jack sit in the middle so Dick and I would be separated. Knowing myself especially at that age I am sure it would not have worked either. Somehow Dick and I would have found some way to push with Jack being in the middle. I am sure we were not the only kids that did that in church at one time or another.

When I was in about sixth grade Dick, Jack, and I decided we would start walking home from church because we did not want to stick around church while mother had coffee and talking with other adults. Mother would pick us up somewhere along the route home. We knew how much talking she did depending on where we were picked up. For Jack and I we really did not walk because Dick was taller than either of us so we really ran to keep up with him. Dick had long legs and he would walk at a pretty good pace as well. Jack and I certainly got our exercise every Sunday for sure. Also, the first half mile or so was downhill as well. It was flat when we reached the harbor. I am sure we did not walk when it was raining hard though.

When we were in high school Dick, Jack, and I all joined the church choir. There were not very many men in the choir so they needed all the help they could have. There was one man who was about ten years or so older than me in the choir named Dennis. He told the choir director that I should have been given a tryout instead of automatically been put in the choir. The choir director told Dennis that I was in my high school choir and that it was good enough for her and besides he can sing better than you Dennis. Of course, that did not make Dennis a very good camper. After a little while he accepted me in the choir. He continued asking the choir director if he could sing a solo. This happened probably about a year after I joined the choir. After asking so many times to do a solo the director decided to let Dennis sing a solo. He did only one solo because he did such a bad job and forgot the words. I am sure he felt very embarrassed by the whole thing. I thought he sort of deserved it since he had been on my case in joining the choir and asking so many times to sing a solo. I do not remember how long it was before he left the choir and the church. It did not really have anything to do with the solo he took a job somewhere else. I wonder what ever happened to Dennis.

My fifth grade teacher Mrs. Eaton at school attended St. John’s Episcopal Church as well. I don’t think I had her as a Sunday school teacher too. She was one of my favorite teachers. What I liked most about her is that even into high school and beyond she always asked how I was doing. She has been died now for many years but I have very fond memories of her. She made me feel like I could accomplish anything.

So you see memories of Sunday’s are a very good thing. Usually after church we would have a nice lunch and play around the yard depending on the weather. Sunday I consider a family day so it was quite special.