To My Daddy

Fearless. Okay, so maybe you were not always fearless, but to your little princess you always seemed to know exactly what to do and what to say. You could handle any situation and could fend off any monsters, whether they were those hiding under my bed, the boys rocking the hanging bridge when I was scared of heights or that boy who just broke my heart!

Absurd. Websters defines absurd as so unreasonable as to be ridiculous. I think this describes you quite well. You always could tell a good story and make someone laugh about anything. I loved (and still do) to listen to your stories and goofy songs. Remember Jesse’s squirrel, where can I find a rodent like that? Yes, I found it quite annoying at the time and still hear your voice singing that line whenever I happen to hear Jesse’s Girl on the radio, but it always brings a smile to my face and makes me think of all the good times when I was a still living at home with no real worries.

Tender. You were always a macho blue collar dad, but there was still a tender side to you. Of course, I was daddy’s little girl, so you always had a soft spot for me and I for you! The one memory I cherish is you brushing my hair. It did not happen very often but I loved it when it did. You were also so gentle and loving when you would brush my hair (in contrast to mom or even myself, we would get impatient with all the knots and just start pulling the brush through it!) By the way, to this day I still prefer and respect blue collar men who put in a full day’s work with their hands over a white collar man who sits behind a desk all day. Nothing against white collar men, I just like a guy that smells like sweat and grease I guess. : )

Honest. I still remember there were two things that would get us in the most trouble when we were kids. Lying and talking back. You have always been a very honest man and I’ve admired that. Because of that, this is one thing I hold in high esteem to this day. You are one of the most honest and hard-working men I’ve ever known and you’ve raised me to be the same. Thank you Daddy!

Empathetic. Anytime I was upset and needed to talk you were always there. You may not always agree with me but you would listen and let me vent. You would listen, give me advice if I wanted it and always made sure I knew I was special to you and could accomplish anything I set my mind to do. I often wanted you to solve my problems for me but you would gently push me to take charge of things myself with the knowledge that you would be there to help me. You ensured I felt totally loved and supported while developing in me an independent spirit. At the time I would sometimes get frustrated with you, but now I am grateful for what you did for me. You enabled me to become a confident and loving adult.

Respect. You taught me the definition of respect, not only for others, but for myself as well. You always respected my decisions, thoughts and emotions whether or not you necessarily agreed with them. This has enabled me over the years to disagree with others while still loving them. You may not have always been able to give my brother and I every material thing we wanted, however we were rich in that we had a father that loved us unconditionally and taught us how to stand up for ourselves and stand up for our beliefs, even in the face of opposition. That is something for which I’ll always be thankful.

This year I don’t have any material item that I’ll be sending to you in the mail, however this is my gift to you for all the world to see, Daddy. You’ve been a wonderful father to me and I will always have fond memories of my childhood as daddy’s little girl. I still am daddy’s little girl to this day. It fills me with happiness to see my own daughter have a close and loving relationship with her father as well, because I understand now as an adult how precious that is and how it will develop her into a beautiful young woman one day.

Thank you Daddy and Happy Father’s Day!!