When I think about my dad’s life, two common themes come to mind: sharing and helping others. Dad was constantly doing things for others and teaching me and my sisters to do the same.

Every spring, Dad always over-planted his garden. Because of the vast amount of garden vegetables dad grew, my sisters and I sold produce at a table on the front lawn, weighing the produce and charging by the pound. But this came after dad shared much of his bounty with family and friends.

And the sharing didn’t stop there. He was constantly taking his home baked goods or jars of salsa and hot jelly (made from garden produce, of course) to friends, family, and co-workers. In fact, dad shared so much of himself and his goodies with others, we couldn’t go anywhere without dad running into someone he had shared with or helped along the way.

In the book, “Planting Pickles with Papa Dan”, dad is depicted sharing his love of gardening and giving with my girls, Alba and Ivy. These memories are priceless, and they are also lessons my dad continues to teach all his grandchildren through this book.