Happy Father’s Day Dad! I can’t call you for a few days now, and so I thought (like I did for Mom) – I should write about how fantastic I think you are!
My Dad is one of the most loving people I know…and I have never once felt unloved by him (even when I was a young teenager and in trouble all the time)!! He takes every opportunity He has to share with myself and my sisters how much he loves us and cherishes us. My Dad is extremely thoughtful and ALWAYS makes me happy to be home! There is not a single time I can think of going to their house, that Dad did not call me before getting there and ask me what I wanted to eat. I think his spiritual gift is feeding people – He is very, very good at it. I mentioned this in an earlier blog – but when I arrived in the states for Pepaw’s funeral, Dad had homemade chicken-n-dumplings and a pitcher of sweet tea waiting for me.
I just finished reading the book “Captivating” by John and Stasi Eldredge – and it talks about how so many girls have a false sense of identity because of the relationships they had with their fathers. I am so blessed to have a Dad who has always loved me the way a Father should love his daughter. My Dad has made me have confidence in myself and even accept my flaws as beautiful. He is a man who is filled with strength and with tenderness. He is the strength of our family and he has the best arms in the world when you are sick, tired, or sad. He even still lets me sit on his lap and I am 25 years old now!! He has taught me how to be responsible, how to pick myself up when I make a mistake, how to relax and enjoy rest, and how to eat good food!! J I can say that one of my favorite things about my Dad is his love of healthy food and that he has passed that down to us – we all know how to cook good healthy food because of he and Mom…I seriously am extremely thankful for that. My Dad is kind of my compass in life – meaning, every single time I am lost while driving (which happened a lot before I got my Tom-Tom) – my Dad was always there to answer my frantic phone calls. It is almost as if he waits by the phone, with his computer pulled up on a map, hoping that one of us will call him and ask for directions. He has even looked on a map to tell me how much longer I would be driving in the rain! He pretty much has the answers to all my questions in life and I get really upset and confused when he doesn’t know that answer to something I want to know!!
My Dad can fix anything! This is something I admire about him more and more as I get older – and believe me, I take full advantage of the fact that he can fix everything. And, I have mentioned this before – but my Dad has really taught us how to have a sense of humor. It is though, not very funny, when you are sitting in a hotel room in Thailand, and your Dad (who loves to mess with people) tells you that he got run over by his tractor and broke 3 ribs, while having a bandage wrapped around his head … all to find out that he is only joking … after you started crying! My Dad LOVES to mess with people – you could ask almost anyone who is close to him. He is somebody that I trust with all of my heart – and yet, most of the time, when he starts a conversation with me … I make my Mom validate that whatever he is telling me is actually the truth!! J I love that I can talk to my Dad about anything and that he is always available – will listen anytime I need to talk. He is very giving and has always provided for me and my sisters by working as hard as he possibly could to give us what he thought we deserved. I am blessed that he was home every night with us as kids and even took jobs playing music at our dance recitals / middle school dances – to spend more time with us! He would never claim to be a dancer … but it is awfully funny when he does!
All I know is that one day, when I meet the man that I am going to marry – I am going to have a really hard time not comparing him to my Dad. If he doesn’t quite measure up – I might make him spend a summer with my Dad – learning everything that my Dad would need to educate him on! I am not sure that anyone who has ever met my Dad did not immediately love him – he just has a great personality and everyone feels comfortable around and with him. I love you so much Dad and I really cannot wait to see you again in 20 weeks! Thanks for seriously being the greatest Dad in the world and for always making me want to be a better person and work hard, and listen to where God is leading me to go.
Anyone reading this – feel free to add anything you think I may have left off!
Love you Dad!
