Leaving a Legacy with Your Art.
It started with the pictures.
My dad’s. Harry A.V. Parker III was an underwater photographer, a scuba diver and a scuba instructor. He always loved the water; dive team in high school and lifeguard during the summers in Virginia Beach. His first scuba dive was in 1949 at 15 years old. From 1951-1980’s he participated in cave diving, salvage diving, ice fishing, spear fishing, and collecting tropical fish for his Under Sea Life fish store. He was Dive Master in 1977 and the President of The A.D.A. for years. A friend of his approached me at his funeral and told me that Jacques Cousteau had asked my dad to go on sea exploring mission with him but my dad declined as the year long commitment was too long.
So his pictures were on my shelves for 15 years, to be exact, since his death in 1998. Waiting. I priced the cost of turning over 400 slides into digital photos and it was expensive. So they sat.
This year a good friend of mine put them all on a disk for me. What a blessing! Going through the pictures was cathartic at the very least. I remembered my dad in ways I had forgotten. He was awesome. Talented. His work was amazingly remarkable.
But it was also sad going through these photos. How would you like to think of your life’s work, your legacy, in boxes? And those old feelings of ‘why didn’t he teach me to scuba dive?’ resurfaced. (My few memories of snorkeling with him in the Keys are priceless.) I guess he was waiting for me to ask? I guess I waited for him to ask? Divorce and the separated miles were like a wall. Now, too late.
My mom too, was a seamstress in her own right. She made my clothes as a child and professional suits for herself for years. But in the business of life, working on a single income that was only half consistent, she never taught me to sew with a sewing machine. Not once. And now she is forever gone and her sewing brilliance is gone too. And not just from me but from my kids. What a hole I have from not learning to sew; curtains that will never be made, costumes that remain in my head, never to materialize, and the ability to pass it on to my kids, never an option.
As a homeschool mom, my slant on learning is different. I think everyone has an art to teach. And this isn’t just for homeschoolers, although I think it is more acute as we are seeking out educators for our children. Who better to learn from than family? It is ironic that family seems to be the most resistant to do this.
“He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.” Exodus 35:35
The thing is, I am ‘out of family’. Most have died; taking their gifts with them. If I could pass one word of advice on to you, it is this:
Pass on your art to the next generation.
Don’t let it die with you. Encourage your family to teach their God given gifts to you and your kids. It doesn’t have to be gifts of underwater photography or ‘art’ in the traditional sense. The gift of a prayer warrior or a helper to others, a painter, a writer, hospitality, working with tools, running, or cooking are all God given gifts. You get the idea. Your art.
“A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.”
Proverbs 18:16
At least the pictures survived. Although there are some imperfections on them from age, I will always treasure them.
They are his legacy.
Finally out of the box.
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
©Harry AV ParkerIII
Now, I can pass his beautiful artwork of Underwater Photography on to his grand kids. And homeschoolers in our Adventure Group. For this I am grateful.
Wow! Beautiful beautiful beautiful photos, Christina! Thank you for sharing your blessing from your dad! He gave you an unusual and wonderful legacy for your kids!!!! Bravo! – Mr Parker!
ps. and don’t give up on the sewing! you and your kiddos ares so very gifted. i bet you can learn to sew and become (nearly) as good as your mum! Wouldn’t she be pleased! Sista, you are bursting with His gifts! “Never say never” 😀
With Love to you!, tommiann
You are such an encourager. Thank you so much, Tommiann!
Hi Christina,
Wow, thanks for reposting this. It is never too late to learn sewing! I wonder where the pictures from your Dad’s scuba diving days were taken. It would be fun to know… like the ship under water. How great experiences with the undersea he had! What a legacy indeed! Hugs! Cindy
You are right, I should learn to sew! Something about learning from your mama… My dad scuba dived all over the world, off Miami Coast, The Great Barrier Reef and others. I wish we lived in the same neighborhood too. We are kindred spirits!
by the way, I wish I lived in your neighborhood! Emily does, too! Hugs!!! 😉
What a wonderful reminder of sharing the our gifts with the world. I lost my grand mother not quite a month ago, and she was unable to share her amazing seamstress abilities with any of us. Thankfully my mother still remembers quite a bit and is still around for us to learn. As an artist, I regularly share art with my children in classes, camps, and sketch excursions. It is priceless to see the talent they are developing and how it is positively affecting the rest of their lives. Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful visual legacy that your father left behind for you and us to be inspired by!
So sorry for the loss of your grandmother….You are a wonderful example of leaving a legacy! Thank you for sharing.
Thank You, Christina!
How remarkable Christina.
I didn’t know this about you and Harry,,,, His work is wonderful.
He was a remarkable man!