Dear Dad,
Sunday is Father’s Day. It’s your
day and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to celebrate you. Out of everyone
in my life that has given me help, you are the one who always receives the
least amount of praise, recognition and credit for the things you do, but to
your own admission, you like it this way. You’ve never been one to want or need
the spotlight instead, you’ve always shown your unwavering support from the
sidelines. Unfortunately for you, you’re front and center today. It’s time that
I use my love of writing to pull you directly into the spotlight so that
everyone knows how much you mean to me.
It’s often said that the
relationship between a father and his daughter is a special bond; that the certain,
complicated intricacies of life can only be taught by you. If I close my eyes
and really think about our life together, I remember so many things. I remember
how you would lay with me at night in bed until I wasn’t scared to face the
night alone. I remember every soccer game, pageant and dance recital you
selflessly sat through for years, never once complaining even though I know
there must have been moments when you wished you were doing something, anything, else. I remember all the
practical jokes you liked to play specifically, the year you pretended to drop
my brand new stereo box on the ground during my birthday party. We didn’t know
you had already removed the stereo from the box and I will never forget the
look on mom’s face watching you drop that box as it tumbled over and over and
over again on the floor. I remember being seven and working in the yard with
you on the weekends. You would mow and together, we would bag all the clippings
stopping only to share a cool drink under the shade of the trees in our
backyard. I remember how you held onto the back of my bike while I learned to
ride it, always giving me encouragement and support to keep trying. Your
patience to teach me things extended well into my young adult years when you taught
me how to drive a stick shift but it probably took all the patience you had trying
to teach me math late night at the dinner table. I would become so frustrated
to the point of tears because I just didn’t understand it all and you never
once lost your patience or made me feel inferior. How you had the patience of
Job in raising three girls is beyond me.
I remember spending my lunch hour
in high school at your office. You were in research and development for Hardee’s
at the time. Because your job was to experiment with new food ideas, there was always
enough food to go around for a hungry high schooler. The running joke was “What
teenager in their right mind would turn down free food” but if I’m being
honest, it was never about the food. I spent my lunch time with you because I
wanted to. In the storm of my teenage years, you were the calm; the one place I
could go to for quiet, refuge and peace. I remember how we would sit and talk
about anything and everything. I remember being so proud of you and the work you
did. When a new product would debut in a Hardee’s restaurant, I would proudly
say, “That’s my dad’s work!” and beam with pride. Most importantly, I faintly
remember sitting on your lap in a dark office, a judge’s chambers, as you gave
me your name. When you met mom, it would have been so easy for you to say, “I’m
not interested” when you found out she had me but you didn’t. You took me in,
loved me as one of your own and never looked back.
In today’s world, a father who
keeps his family safe and who is dependable and trustworthy is hard to come by.
We never had a worry where this was concerned. You were always so thoughtful
and diligent in taking care of your girls. Without hesitation, you would run
out in a downpour to get the car for us and when we were sick, you always made
sure we had our favorites on hand to help us feel better. As a working dad, you
came home every night and cooked dinner without complaint or hesitation. Now as
a working mom myself, I know how tiresome and weary it can all be but you? You
always made it look flawless and perfect.
Dad, you were the first man I ever
loved. You were the first man to believe in me, the first man to dance with me
and the first man to show me unconditional love. Through the years, you’ve held
me, comforted me, and been my playmate and my biggest supporter. You’ve given
me the freedom to explore life and grow as a person and always left your arms
open for me when I messed up or needed to come home. You’ve always been my
compass, my Northern Star, my constant.
Today, I may have a family and
daughter of my own but you have never left me. My heart is forever shaped by
the love you showed me. I know that through any stage of life I encounter, you
are there, on the sidelines, cheering me on. I know that in this life, there is
no love like your first love and for me, that love is always daddy.
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