Yesterday, my brother in law stopped over to show hubs something he had found in their Dad’s coin collection.

We had to get out a magnifying glass to read the inscriptions on both sides of the “coin”. We were all very surprised to learn that hubs’ Dad was a speed skater in his teenage years! He had never mentioned it and none of his five sons knew about it.

Hubs and his brothers were all very athletic when they were young and we always thought that these genetics came from his Mom, who also loved and participated in sports.

Hubs’ Dad was always keenly interested in sports, especially ice hockey and baseball, and coached many of his sons’ teams, but nobody knew he was an athlete himself at one time.

My father in law was a pilot in WW2 and then a farmer and teacher when he returned home from overseas. He was a kind and humble man who never spoke of or bragged about his experiences or accomplishments.

This little medal was a wonderful find and elicited a great afternoon conversation about memories of days gone by.

Photo Note: The medal was the same colour on both sides and I photographed each side under the exact same light. The difference between the two shots was that I set my focus and exposure on the first one before taking the photo. This is the first lesson in every phone photography class, and it’s said that once you learn this alone, you’ll be amazed at the improvement in your phone photos. To set focus, tap and hold on your screen on the subject you wish to be in clear focus. A little square will appear and you’ll see AE/AF Lock appear at the top of your screen. A little slider will appear beside the square with a sun on it. Slide up or down to set your exposure and then take the shot.

“It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.”

Mitch Albom