Today, my daddy has been on my mind a lot. He is an interesting man. He is not tall but he isn't short. He has gray hair (probably a lot of it from me), ruddy skin, a contagious laugh, and a loving heart. He had a hard life growing up and not once have I heard him use this as an excuse for not doing something or accomplishing something. He was in one of the worst wars ever to be in and he came back from it scarred both physically and emotionally but he did not once take it out on us that I was ever aware of.
He shared his love of liverwurst and vienna sausages with me (not really a good thing but it happens). He found activities, tv shows, etc. that we could share and made time to do that with both me and my brother. He found time to be at piano recitals, choir concerts, etc. He made sure to take time for Saturday rides, chinaberry wars in the backyard, trips to the beach, and shopping for stuff he could probably have cared less about. He made sure that we were in church as much as possible. He also made sure that we had the things we needed and we never seemed to go without even when times were tough. He also showed me how to be someone who helped others without complaint.
My daddy taught me to look for a man who wouldn't hesitate to love me and tell me constantly that he loved me no matter what. My daddy taught me to look for a man who treated me like a princess. My daddy taught me to look for the good in people even when there didn't appear to be any good. My daddy taught me (although this lesson took a very long time) to know when to talk and when to be quiet. My daddy taught me to be picky about who I wanted to spend my life with. My daddy told me that if I was ever abused in any form then that person would have to deal with him first and last.
My daddy is really a softie at heart. He cuddled my boys when they were little, played in the floor with them, played silly games with them, and taught them how to cheat at UNO. He taught them how to love hot dogs and bologna (again not really a good thing but it happens). Even despite my own misgivings, he taught my boys how to shoot a BB gun. When my nieces and nephew came into the picture, he had no problem wearing a princess crown, playing Wii with them, or getting on the trampoline or scooter with them. He calls, texts, and emails us just to see if we are okay for no reason.
My daddy did try to find humor in things to get our minds off of pain or hurts. He was like that. Although, the one time he tried humor while I was in labor, didn't quite work like he hoped. I laugh about it now though so maybe it did work.
He cries over our heartaches. He laughs over our adventures. He gets angry over our injustices and wants to come defend us. Even now, he does all this. Through it all he prays for us every day. My daddy is one of the greatest heroes I have in my life.
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