[April 21, 2024] From the shoreline of the Toledo Bend Reservoir, I could see my Mom clapping her hands over her head. After a dozen or so tries, I’d finally got up on my skis and had completed another right of passage for a southern boy: water skiing. Mom was pleased. I did feel pretty good that I could ski before my dad, but I felt bad, too.
This trip was going to be the best camping ever.
We would have a summer vacation of boating, lake camping, spinner fishing, swimming, sleeping in an uncomfortable tent, eating watermelons, and fun water skiing. That week, the weather cooperated, there were few insects, the lake was like a mirror, and the scenery was beautiful. “Like a postcard,” Bigmama would say.
There was nothing better than lake camping with my grandparents. Plus, Granddaddy had a beautiful red and white 15-foot Starcraft boat with an Evinrude motor. His boat had plenty of horsepower in that engine to pull a water skier behind on the lake or fish off the side while bobbling near the shore, which we did daily. We hauled in fish, much to my delight. I was a natural.
Crack! One day, while exploring the lake’s upper reaches, we got jumped by a powerful storm. It had all the elements of a disaster, with high winds, lightning, large waves, and a severe likelihood of capsizing Granddaddy’s boat. Aboard were Granddaddy, Dad, Mom, my brother Philip, and me.
We managed to get the boat to an unknown shoreline while the adults tried to keep the boat from drifting out deeper into the lake, where being overturned would be disastrous. And keep the boat’s aluminum hull off the large shore rocks.
I insisted I help hold the boat at the rocky shoreline, but Dad said, “NO!” “Adults only.” I was maybe ten years old. “Bail out the water.” He was serious. He was also worried, and I could see it in his eyes. The water was pouring fast into the boat. But we survived. After experiencing the worst aspects of the storm, we slowly limped the Starcraft back to our camping area.
But, like any vacation, there comes a time when the day might bring an unexpected turn. That day on a stormy lake is one never to forget. Arriving back at the campsite, I saw Bigmama collecting her kitchenware, bags of food, our sleeping blankets, pieces of our tentage, trash, and oddities strewn everywhere like an explosion had thrown stuff everywhere. I was immediately off the boat to help, even if I couldn’t do anything meaningful.
Hours following a storm are often calm. We took the time to gather up our things and began drying out. Granddaddy was amazing at how fast he got the tent fixed and upright. Plus, much to my enjoyment, he had a massive fire roaring in a pit. I stood beside it, gathering in its warmth and mesmerized by its light. The adults worked quickly, with darkness approaching.
We slept with wet wool blankets on the bare ground that night, but the wool kept us warm. We never heard of a sleeping bag. From my tent, I watched as the flames bounced shadows around the camp, and eventually, I slept soundly. During the night, we had critters visit. One opossum was sniffing at my head, and he was a persistent little bugger because he wouldn’t stop. It was as if a small rat family invaded us.
The following morning, I peeked out of my tent to see Bigmama making her famous delicious biscuits, a pan of eggs cooking in grease, pancakes on the grill, and a pot of coffee brewing. Later, I laughed at Bigmama’s funny jokes, which seemed funnier when my mouth was full of buttered biscuits. We were back to the best vacation camping trip ever.
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NOTE: See all my letters here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/
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Please read my books:
Gen. Satterfield has a wonderful, intriguing, and attractive series of letters, we should all read.
“The following morning, I peeked out of my tent to see Bigmama making her famous delicious biscuits, a pan of eggs cooking in grease, pancakes on the grill, and a pot of coffee brewing. Later, I laughed at Bigmama’s funny jokes, which seemed funnier when my mouth was full of buttered biscuits. We were back to the best vacation camping trip ever.”
There is always peace in the mist of our storms with God as our co-pilot.
Bigmamma cooking breakfast the next morning was the relief the family needed as reassurance. I made it thru through storms of challenges.
I do not know how you made it with the opossum at your face. That why I don’t go camping at night.
The experience made your see God at a different spiritual level. You commended on several occasions i noted.
Your family worked as a team to make it through the storm.
In each life so rain wll fall. How’s will we handle this will determine the outcome
The family, God, and community were always at the center of our lives.
BEAUTIFUL
🌹🌷🌺🌸💐
Yeah, Paulette, I was thinking the same thing. I’ve now been a regular reader of this blog by Gen. Satterfield for more than a year and I can say that I’m enjoying each article. His new series on “advice to young men” is outstanding so far, but this “Letters to My Granddaughter” is by far the very best he has written. Every day that I open my computer, I then go to this site in the hope of finding another of his letters. It’s been a few days now, so I expect another to pop soon. Happy Spring Time to all readers here. 🌸🌷🌼
Such a lovely letter, thank you Gen. Satterfield. I’m a new fan of this series.
I’m rather new to this website, so I don’t have much experience with the forum but I like the written comments below. Looks like a great bunch of folks. I hope to contribute more, later. Thank you, Mr. Satterfield for your letters.
Welcome Phoebe Trudy. I hope you enjoy your time on my website.
Welcome aboard trudy. I have a great friend name Trudy. Please feel free to make comments. My friend Gen Douglas Satterfield loves that.
Ah, here I am back from vacation and what do I find but another couple of articles on “letters to my granddaughter” by Gen. Satterfield. Well done, sir!!!! Your letters are certainly a positive look back to your childhood and to those things that helped make you who you are. I hope to do the same but I’ll have to wait until I retire to get the time. Oh, no I won’t wait. Now is the time to put pen to paper.
Gen. Satterfield read widely and one of the articles he wrote recently, and that is connected to his letters to his granddaughter is “The “Godfather” Kevin Samuels”. Now that might not seem like a real connection but there is.
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““You’re average at best.” So begins one of America’s most famous and well-respected image consultants, Kevin Samuels. He shot to popularity for his advice, targeted mainly at black women, but applies across all races and cultures. I first heard of the “godfather,” as he is affectionately known in the dating market, from a young man advising women to make themselves better wives.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield. This shows us that Gen. Satterfield, as a boy, was average and yet, he still did well and actually better than most. Why? That is what Kevin Samuel talks about. Make yourself a better person.
Ursala, you are soooo right. I love listening to Kevin Samuels. You can find him on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLjodVTY_kZzd3cQ7D82DhA
Too bad that he passed away. It was a great loss.
Indeed, a good man lost to the world and who had so much to give. A tough, no-nonsense man with some advice that Gen. Satterfield also loved.
… and this wonderful and loving series of letters continue.
👍👍👍👍👍👍
INDEED, it does.
Excellent comment ursala
I am and continue to be amazed at these letters to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter, and by extension to all his grandkids !!! This is the kind of things that I like to read !!! They are real !!! They are down to earth !!! The letters make you feel like you are there with him, as a little boy !!! And, that is why I keep coming back and reading more of his letters to his granddaughter !!! Keep your letters coming, Gen. Satterfield !!! I love them all !!!
WOW, Letter No. 67 It’s Blowing up a Storm. Loved the story! 👍
Amazing, YES!
Gen. Doug Satterfield wrote, one of my favorite lines, “The following morning, I peeked out of my tent to see Bigmama making her famous delicious biscuits, a pan of eggs cooking in grease, pancakes on the grill, and a pot of coffee brewing. Later, I laughed at Bigmama’s funny jokes, which seemed funnier when my mouth was full of buttered biscuits. We were back to the best vacation camping trip ever.” This is what I like to read. All ends well.
Stories from Gen. Satterfield’s childhood. What a wonderful time I am having reading them.
Big fan here.
I wish that my childhood these kind of experiences instead of sitting in front of a tv set all day.
Or sitting playing video games.
Going camping with my grandparents, now that is an adventure.
Liz, you nailed it. If ONLY. That is what we say today. I’ll bet that gen. Satterfield as a boy was told he was going camping and that was that. No raising your hand to volunteer, “we all go camping.” Now if only we’d do the same for our kids today instead of allowing them to do anything and everything they want. Gen. Satterfield is a real patriot and I think a lot of that had to do with his upbringing. 🇺🇸
Patriot Wife, I think you’re right.
Good comment Liz and P Wife. We should all be pushed to do things we might not like and do so by our parents. This is why having BOTH parents in the home is so important. And it is a shame that we encourage divorce today, which helps destroy kids.
“Crack! One day, while exploring the lake’s upper reaches, we got jumped by a powerful storm. It had all the elements of a disaster, with high winds, lightning, large waves, and a severe likelihood of capsizing Granddaddy’s boat. Aboard were Granddaddy, Dad, Mom, my brother Philip, and me. We managed to get the boat to an unknown shoreline while the adults tried to keep the boat from drifting out deeper into the lake, where being overturned would be disastrous. And keep the boat’s aluminum hull off the large shore rocks. I insisted I help hold the boat at the rocky shoreline, but Dad said, “NO!” “Adults only.” I was maybe ten years old. “Bail out the water.” He was serious. He was also worried, and I could see it in his eyes. The water was pouring fast into the boat. But we survived. After experiencing the worst aspects of the storm, we slowly limped the Starcraft back to our camping area.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield tells a beautiful story. Read and learn.
https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/
Great stories begat great stories.
OJ, yes, and why it is a good idea to come to this website and read and think about what you read. I also highly recommend Gen. Satterfield’s books that are linked to at the end of each article. If you can, go to Amazon and order yourself one of his books. You will enjoy it. My favorite is “Our Longest Year in Iraq” that came out in 2021. Others like “55 Rules for a good life.” Both are excellent. Get you copies today.
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Wow, Number 67 (It’s blowing up a storm). Loved it. More of these letters anytime you want, sir!!!!!!!1
It didn’t take long for this letter to come out. I must say, Gen. Satterfield, that I could read your letters to your granddaughter every day of the week and not be bored at all. Each letter is carefully built like any great story. The fact that these letters are about stories from your early years – will there be letters about your young adulthood? – is very educational. Most of the letters tell a sweet story but also does not gloss over the tragedies that also happen, sometimes randomly like in this story when your boating expedition got “jumped” by a storm. Now, these are not too serious of problems but goes to show that for a little kid, things can get scary. Thanks again. I’m rambling a bit, but just wanted to note that I’m hooked on these letters.
Hi Marx and Groucho. I think it is safe to say that most of us are “hooked on these letters” from Gen. Satterfield as a little boy’s stories being told. I hope his granddaughter enjoys each letter as they are precious. 👀👀👀👀👀
🙏 Yep, good comments, Marx & Groucho and HAL. This is one of the main reasons I read this blog by Gen. Satterfield. Now, I’m going to be writing my own letters to my children and their children. My letters, I pray will be handed down the generations. They should at least be given the opportunities to read what I was thinking and why I made certain decisions in my life. God Bless, Gen. Doug Satterfield. 🙏
Well said, M&G.
Sir, thank you for your stories. They inspire me. I am a devoted reader of your website.
You are welcome. 😎
Excellent comment ursala
Wonderful story, sir. Thank you so much for this long and continuing series on your younger years. For all of us, we much appreciate what you are doing here. ❤
Yes, sir rhee ….. another beautiful story.
Yes, ashley. I’m one of the original readers of this blog that actually write comments here. And along with Yusaf from Texas, we’ve been made better people by first reading Gen. Satterfield’s blog and then doing our very best to apply his thinking to our lives. Now, this series of letters to his granddaughter is making us even better because we can compare our lives to his and see that there is not much of a difference.