For My Dad

There's this song we used to sing when we were kids. It goes like this:

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home
Glad as I can be
Clap my hands and shout for joy
Then climb up on his knee
Put my arms around his neck
Hug him tight like this
Pat his cheeks
Then give him what?
A great. Big. KISS! *smooch*

No words could more perfectly describe my thoughts and feelings toward my dad as a child.  

When I was younger my dad was a Custodian for one of the local school districts. He would leave for work before I came home from school and would come back after I had gone to bed. But sometimes, on those nights when we didn't have school the next day, our mom let us go with her to pick him up from work. If we were very lucky, we'd get there just before he was finished with all of his work and he'd let us walk around the building with him as he finished up. I loved it.

During the summer, when all of the kids were out of school, my dad got to work during the day and be home at night. That's when we had our fun. My favorite memory from that time was playing hide and seek in the dark.

I also remember going hiking and camping with my family. We visited so many places, it's hard to list them all. We never flew anywhere, always drove, and we never stayed in an RV. We liked to camp out in tents. Dad was never too old to sleep in the tents with us, or to go on a hike. Sometimes, he did the hiking better than I could.

I remember watching movies and T.V. shows  with my dad. We don't have the same taste in films and literature, but we could always find something to enjoy together, like Star Wars, Star Trek, The Invisible Man, Knight Rider, and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

I remember walking to church with my dad. He always held my mom's hand (which meant only one of us could hold his or her hand, since the sidewalk wasn't big enough for more than that). His arm was always around my mom while they sat together in church. He opened doors for her, treated her like a queen. His queen.

When my mom passed away, he was devastated. To those who were with him every day, it wasn't hard to see that his heart was truly broken, another testimony to me of just how much he loves her. When he married my step-mom, Betty, it was like he could finally get the peace he needed to regain the bits of his heart that were broken and lost. And even though Betty isn't my mom, and she isn't his first love, he still loves her. He treats her the same way as he treated my mom.

To this day, whenever my dad talks about my mom, I can still see the love he feels for her in his eyes. I have never doubted how much he loves her, because I have seen it.

My dad isn't perfect. I've had my arguments with him, particularly as I got older. But I have learned as I've grown up just how much I love him and how important he is to me. I have been able to see just how much he cares about me, too.

One night while I was in college I couldn't sleep. I'd had my heart ripped out over a boy, and I was completely devastated. It was about 2 or 3 in the morning when I finally called my dad. When I told him what had happened his response surprised me.

"I knew there was a reason I couldn't sleep," he said.

My dad, from 200 miles away, had known that I needed him. While he didn't know the details of what was going on, he knew there was something wrong. Not only that, but the thing keeping me up that night, was keeping him up as well.

I have learned so much from my dad. I've learned that most repairs on a house you can do yourself. If you don't know how, you can learn. It's okay to try and fix it yourself. But it's also okay to have someone else do it. 

I've learned the importance of paying tithing and how it can bless your life in all things, not just financially. My dad has often told me that he feels part of the reason we have been blessed with safety, particularly in our travels, was due to his and my mom's faithfulness in paying tithing.

I've learned the importance of being worthy to hold and use the priesthood. I cannot tell you how many times I have asked my dad for a blessing, whether I was sick or I just needed some extra guidance and comfort. My dad was always ready, and always willing. If someone in our Ward needed a blessing, he was happy to accept the call.

I've learned how to give a good hug, and how much you need to let people know you love them. Not just tell them, but show them.

I've learned how to love my ancestors. I've learned that while they have already passed into the next life, they are just as involved in my life as those who are here with me. They care about and love me just as much. And I have increased my desire to know more about them, to be closer to them.

I've seen how important the Atonement is, and how much we all need to have it in our lives. I've learned the importance of forgiving others, not holding a grudge. I've seen how quickly anger can be turned to love when we choose to let it go.

I've learned that as a woman I deserve to be highly regarded, especially by my husband, and any man who treats me less is not worthy of me. I deserve a man who will love me more than anything even when we are not together. I've learned to not accept anything less than what I deserve when it comes to guys.

All these things I have learned from my dad. And I am eternally grateful to him for it.

Thanks Dad. I Love You.