CNJ+ July 2026

A FATHER’S DAY STORY By Richard Mabey Jr.

My father often gave the appearance of being the rugged outdoors man. The man who could hike 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail with full pack, in just one day and not complain at all. The beloved Scoutmaster, who taught hundreds of boys the golden truth of the guiding principles of the Scout Law and Scout Oath. And yet, my father had lying within the chambers of his heart, a sensitivity and compassion that was wider and deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. Now at 72, and fighting tooth and nail this dreaded Hypertrophic Cardio myopathy, I have reached a point in life where I am more able to take a good, hard look in the mirror, of the rocky road of my life’s past journey. Ironically, one of the biggest failures of my life, turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life. My beloved father helped me to see this endearing and enduring truth, on of all days, the Father’s Day of 1980. On Father’s Day of 1980, I lied in a hospital bed at a little osteopathic hospital in Livingston. Dr. Jan Barnes, an old school osteopath was my doc tor. Dr. Barnes was a very smart man, dedicated to his calling to work to ward helping sick people heal. I was suffering from a severe strep throat. Dr. Barnes feared that the strep would migrate to the valves of my heart, as it had down when I was 12 years old. At the time, I was very weak, weathered and worn. What drove me to this intense illness was purely my own fault. In June of 1977, I passed the West Virginia Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ rigorous series of written and practical state board exams. In early August of 1977, I left the warmth and comfort of the old Mabey Homestead, to drive my old 1966 Ford Galaxie to a small town in West Virginia, and begin to practice the healing art of chiropractic, totally alone. I don’t want to get sued, so I’ve changed the name of this very small town to Squirrel Valley. The people there were very, very poor. I was a most idealistic young man, filled with dreams and ambitions of helping poor people find better health, through correcting the misalignments in their spinal columns. I rented a little office space on the town’s Main Street. I set up living quar ters in the back of the office. It was far from a glamorous situation. Space was tight. After paying the first month’s rent, I had all of $200.00 to my name. Three months later, I had a grand total of five patients. I had gotten a job at a small, family-owned grocery store, just a block down from my chiropractic office. I got this job to subsidize my chiropractic practice. I worked the night shift, pricing out and putting groceries on the shelves. I would come home from my grocery store job at about 7:00 in the morning. I would get some sleep for a couple of hours. Then open my office at 10:00 sharp. It was a tough, rugged schedule. I wasn’t eating right at all. I was living on cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It was just about all I could afford. People, back in the late 1970’s, were not all that open minded to chiropractic, as they are now. I became enamored with a young woman who worked as a cashier at the grocery store that I worked at. I would see her every morning. As I punched out, she would be punching in to work. One morning, I finally got the nerve to ask her for a date. To my amazement, she said yes. Kathleen and I dated for about two years. It’s a long story. But basically, Kathleen’s father did not really like me. He didn’t appreciate chiropractic. Kathleen’s father saw me as a big loser. Looking back, I now realize that this man was just looking out for what he thought was best for his daughter.

And, to top things off, Kathleen’s father wanted his daughter to marry an Irish Catholic man. The bottom line was that this man, well meaning, just did not feel that I was good enough for his daughter. It was all too stressful. And, sadly Kath leen broke off our dating relationship. I was broken hearted, financially broke and struggling to pay the rent and keep my body fed. It’s all a long story, but I feel into a depression, struggling to survive, and my health went seriously downhill. And thus, brings us to Father’s Day of 1980. My Mom and sister, Patti, had gone to the hospital cafeteria to get a bit of lunch. Dad sat beside my hospital bed. I confessed to my father that I felt like such a failure in life. I told Dad that I felt lost in the forest, without a compass. I gave Dad, his Father’s Day card. I simply wrote these words inside the card. “Dear Dad, Thank you for all you have given me. Love, Your Son, Rich ard.” My father cried. My father stood up. He looked so very tall and confident. I felt like such a loser, lying in a hospital bed, fighting a serious strep throat, weak and worn and weathered. My father looked me squarely in the eye and held my hand. Dad reminded me that I had looked the majestic buck straight into his black eyes, in the Summer of 1965, when I was just 11 years old. My father reminded me how the tall deer threw back his head, after looking into my eyes, and blessed me to become a marked man. I know to some of you, this may sound like a simple superstition. But to my family, going back to the legendary belief of my Great-Great -Grandfa ther, William Mabey Sr., whoever looked a majestic buck squarely into his eyes, was blessed to be a marked man with a unique gift that was granted unto him by the angels in Heaven. With tears in his eyes, my father said these words to me, “Richie, you can write. God has given you a talent. You’re a good writer.” It was just that sim ple. Dad’s words still resonate in my heart, mind and soul. I was to heal, with Dr. Barnes’ guiding help. I began, once again, writing for the old Lincoln Park Herald. I landed a most wonderful job of serving as a writer and editor for a twice monthly, in-house company newsletter for a large manufacturer of first-aid products. I loved my father with all of my heart and all of my inner being. My fa ther dropped out off school, to join the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Later, Dad earned his GED and attended Drew University. There Dad took a good number of religion courses to become a Lay Leader in the United Methodist Church. My father was one of the wisest men I have ever known. Dad went Home to be with Lord on the twelfth of May of 2006. I don’t think a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of him. I dearly miss my fa ther. I loved my father with all of my heart, mind and soul. Love the ones to whom God has given unto you. Love them with all of your heart. Forgive them of all their wrong doings. Hold no grudges. Love is the single most powerful force in the universe. As the Beatles sang to us all them years ago, love is all you need. Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He has recently had two books pub lished. He currently hosts a YouTube Channel entitled, “Richard Mabey Pres ents.” Richard may be contacted at richardmabeyjr@gmail.com.

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