Daddy's Day

Unfortunately, I missed my Mother's Day Blogspot Debut due to the Great Hiatus.  However, I would like to take this time to pay tribute to all the fathers out there, particularly my own.  Who knows... maybe I'll mail this to him...haha.

My Daddy is an amazing man.  He went through a great deal to have and protect a daughter... more than I can imagine.  One of my earliest memories of Daddy is that when I was very young, he worked in a quarry.  His muscles were HUGE.  And when he would hug me, he couldn't help but accidentally hurt me a little, so he made up a game.  He told me these were "bear hugs".  I was ecstatic.  I went around bear-hugging everyone until eventually enough people complained (apparently there was an incident involving another child at daycare whose face turned blue and lips turned purple because I loved her too much) that he had to stop. 

He took me hunting and fishing with him.  Mama claims that the only reason I enjoyed it so much was that there was always a Pepsi and other treats involved for me if I agreed to join him.  But no... I tagged along because those things only tasted good with Dad there.  Matter of fact, when I went to Emmanuel College, I used to walk downstairs to get a honey-bun whenever I felt unhappy.  The first time I did it, I took a bite, and realized why I had chosent the honey-bun.  This was my favorite of the treats Daddy would get me.  I cried.  Oh, and I'm happy to continue the hunting / fishing tradition today as I'm determined to some day show off by being some poor city slick's salvation when (God forbid) the grocery stores stop taking their money.  I may not be the most experienced person when it comes to gutting any animal, but, hey... I'm competitive, and I figure most city-boys would be too dumb to notice.  I mean, entrails are delicacies in other countries right?

My point is simply that, my dad is so much more than just my dad to me.  He has always understood things about whatever I was going through, without my necessarily having to explain.  Because he has lived as a part of my life, rather than just another extension of it.  He's always been very personable, despite the fact that sometimes things can be a little awkward between us, haha.  Especially since I'm his only daughter, and especially since I've become an adult.  Recently, I was listening to my favorite country music station when Miranda Lambert's "House that Built Me" came on.  I thought, "How fitting..."  And so here it is...  To my Dad, thanks for creating a home that built me into the person I have and will continue to become.