Sunday, June 19, 2011

What's in a dad?

Excuse me for my really poor Shakespeare reference, but I would like to honor my dad on this day -- Father's Day 2011. What's in a dad? I suppose the answer is different for every person. I would guess that even among siblings you might get a different answer. Before I talk about my dad, I want to talk about another one.

Today I saw a facebook posting from a friend. A picture of a father and his two children. Unfortunately this particular father passed away. He was a great dad, and boy did he love his kids. I remember a time when Anna wanted to get her ears pierced. She was 10, I think. He was dead set against it. He thought 18 was soon enough for his little girl to get earrings. He asked me if he was being too conservative and over-protective. I told him he was being silly, along with a few other choice names. Needless to say, Anna got her ears pierced soon after. I know today Anna and Ben are really missing their Dad. And their mom is really missing him too. While he was sick, all he wanted was for his family to be ok. He fought long and hard to stay with them. They were the world to him. I hope they know it.

My dad is fighting hard too. Growning up, he used to tuck me into bed and kiss me goodnight. I remember him having to grow a beard at one point. I also remember hating that beard. I think I told him it was yucky and that I didn't want him to kiss me goodnight anymore because it hurt. I was very young, maybe five or six. Daddy always went to the grocery store and bought our stuff. And as long as we were very specific, he came home with what we asked for. He tried to hard to make sure we had what we needed. Maybe sometimes he would bring home conditioner instead of shampoo, but he tried. When my mom cut my hair off, leaving me with the worst cowlicks ever, dad used to help me fix my hair before school. Spray bottles and comb in hand, he fought those cowlicks valiently and won.

Daddy was stuck in a household with four women. I shared a bathroom with dad until I was in seventh grade, only because mom wouldn't let him shower in her bathtub. He wsa surrounded. As a result he is patient and kind. He can talk me out of an upset like no one else. He always wants his girls to be happy. I was the tomboy in the family, so I would go to basketball games with him. And I would watch movies with him in Saturdays. After watching him work on all of his accounting crap he used to bring home, I vowed never to work in a profession with numbers. I think daddy is still dissapointed none of us became a CPA like him. Daddy never minded mom taking us shopping. I would come home from shopping trips then try on every outfit for dad. He just used to smile. Somehow, I still do that when I'm home and I buy something new. He still smiles and nods his head.

Today is about my dad, but on a day like this I really miss my mom. After we knew she wasn't going to make it, my dad and I cried with each other when I came home from the ICU where we had taken mom the night we found out. Then mom had her talks with us. Her speech to me was very simple, "Don't worry about me, your sisters will take care of me. Your job is to take care of your daddy." This is not to say my sister's don't take care of my dad, but mom knew they would concentrate on her. She wanted me to focus on him.

I love my daddy. He is the best daddy ever. He is an inspiration to me and to all that know him. He fights him cancer with a great attitude and a fortitude that is unfathomable. He has the best outlook on life. Sometimes I wonder how a negative worry wart like me could have come from him. I pray everyday that he beats the cancer back into remission. I don't want to lose him, as he is my daddy. And I will always be his little girl. No matter how old I am.

I love you, daddy. Happy Father's Day!!!