Letters From Phil

Making my Thanksgiving shopping list, I thought of my older brother, Phil, his memory an indelible part of the holiday for me. As adults, we seldom saw each other and never sat down to a turkey dinner together. But I always tried to call him on Thanksgiving. He’d given me much to be grateful for.
John Phillip Jacobs was born with a love for cooking. He took joy in whipping up simple, tasty dishes with whatever we had on hand. More than 50 years later, I can still picture him, a shirt tied around his waist like an apron, sleeves flopping as he danced around our Oklahoma farmhouse kitchen.
Too bad my father, raising the four of us children on his own after my mother had left us, believed boys had no place in the kitchen.
One day, Dad came home unexpectedly from work. He appeared in the kitchen doorway just as Phil glided across the floor, singing a ditty about beans and wieners. Dad grabbed Phil by the shoulder. They tussled until Phil shoved Dad against a cabinet and bolted out the screen door.
I dashed out to catch Phil. “I’ll soon be 17,” he said. “I’m gonna join the Air Force. Since Dad wants me to be tough, I’m sure he’ll sign for me to do that.”
I took a ragged breath. The thought of my older brother leaving ripped at my heart. “Write to me,” I blurted.
Phil tugged gently on one of my pigtails. “I promise.”
He enlisted. I waited six weeks before a letter arrived. I ran to the creek to read it in private.
この記事は Guideposts の October/November 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Guideposts の October/November 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン

The Angel and the Fisherman
Both were on the beach that night

The Secret to 60 Years
Know someone who is tying the knot this summer? Here's some surprising advice from a longtime spouse

An Afternoon Well Spent
I thought there were a million things I’d rather be doing than running errands with Mam Ma

Beyond My Control
The pilot’s voice was completely calm. But his words terrified me: “I need you all in the crash position”

A Rocky Start
Our yard wasn't all that needed a makeover

Making Things Right
My dad and I never really connected. Now that doctors told him he had just months to live, would we ever?

A New Day
I used to talk on the phone with my mom every day over coffee. Mornings just didn't feel right without her

what prayer can do
POWER IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES

Goodwill Greeting
I was losing my vision. Was I also losing my hope?

Grateful in All Things
The answer came like a breeze brushing my cheek