The preacher spoke on a stage with everyone gathered around, using a microphone to reach each ear. As he concluded his sermon, he invited folks to testify. My dad tried to catch me; he really did. I sprinted full speed to the stage impervious to his attempts, however. He was left at its edge, breathless and unable to intervene now.
I can see this scenario in my mind's eye perfectly, although if it was my little girl, I wouldn't be running up to intervene... until she said something completely humiliating to the entire crowd!
Children are naturally moral absolutists, but as we get older it's easy to slip into moral relativism. By the time we have children, the contrast can be very sharp. On one hand, parents want to prepare their children for what they believe is inevitable, a cynical view of the world, but in their hearts, they know they will be raising cynical children, with a changing and ever-evolving view of right and wrong. Parents are afraid to be moral absolutists, thinking it's too strict and authoritative, but the reality is that it preserves that precious spark in children, who see right and wrong in an easier light, without having to imagine all the grays that modern society tries to mandate.
I am so happy to read your very fond remembrances of your father, I am sure he loves you very much.