A Day Late, I'm Always Short

If you have social media or a calendar, you know that yesterday was Father's Day. I was disconnected for the majority of the weekend so I did not get around to writing this yesterday, so let's discuss today.. Man Crush Monday? My Dad Rocks Monday? Monday. 


Last month, I made sure to spotlight my mom on Mother's Day. For this post, it's my dad's turn. 

Growing up, I always thought my dad was older than my mom - because I assumed the man had to be older than the woman. This is not the case, and definitely not true for my parents. My dad is 4 years younger than my mom (GASP!), but you'd never know there was an age gap between them. 

My dad has always been my voice of reason. He's a very logical thinker, and is really good at giving advice when you need it most. He's incredibly generous, funny, and caring. He handles himself with the utmost confidence, especially in a situation that's new to him. He would do anything for his family (the dog mostly, but we understand... 😜) in a heart beat. He can strike up a conversation with literally any human being on earth and learn so much about them - he's got this trick where he knows all the right questions to ask without it feeling like an interview.

Do I have a favorite memory with my dad? Sure - there are thousands. Most recently, my parents met one of my best friends, her husband, and her 20 month old daughter. Watching my dad play with their little girl made me smile so big - because someday (not anytime soon, thanks universe) he will be the worlds BEST Grampy. I constantly tell him he'll have grandpuppies before he has grandchildren, and he seems to be okay with it. 

That's the thing about my dad - he supports whatever choice my brother and I make. He may not necessarily agree with it at first, but he understands that we need to make our own decisions, and if we fall flat on our faces, he'll be there to love us through it, and offer some advice to fix the problem. He understands that we need to make mistakes in order to learn from them, but never makes us feel like crap because of our choices. 

My dad is one of the few people on this earth that can make me laugh so hard no sound comes out. There have been PLENTY of phone calls during work hours that have had me crying from laughing so hard - and I can't explain what's happening to anyone because 1. I can't stop laughing and 2. the backstory is too long to explain. Dad and I also have this issue where something (and it could be ANYTHING) makes us giggle in church, and we end up bright red from holding in the laughter. My mom does not appreciate this, and we try to keep it to an absolute minimum, but I am almost positive that God has a sense of humor, and doesn't mind a little laughter from time to time.  

Growing up and through much of my adult life, my dad has referred to me as his princess. This does NOT mean that I got everything I demanded or that I had the most fancy dress because I wanted it. Dad makes me feel like I am one of the most important people in his life. It may have helped that I was the only girl on both sides of the family for a while, especially his side of the family. Hell, my first AIM screen name (for those of you who don't know what that is.. google it.) was DaddyzPrincess24. He always makes sure his family is taken care of and safe. Nothing else matters in this world unless both of those things are in good working order first. 

I know I've discussed how incredibly supportive he is of my brother and I, but the truest testament to support has to be his unwavering support of my mom. My dad had to be the person last year to call and tell us when family passed, because Mom was so heartbroken. I will NEVER forget the phone call I got last year when Granddaddy passed. I talk to my dad every single morning, so it was not out of the ordinary for him to call me. When I answered the phone like I normally do, and he didn't play along, I knew. He had trouble getting it out, but when he did get it out, for a moment I was 12 years old again and he was telling me that his mom had passed away. 

There is nothing worse in this world for a child, than to see their parents sad and being physically incapable of taking their pain away. Dad lost his mom, my Grammy, in February of 2001. Mom stood by him and supported his every need. He cried when he told us she had passed, but went into organization mode to get himself and my mom to Florida for her services. Through all of our loss last year, my dad kept my mom upright, loved her through every step of the process, and never once took the spotlight away from her. Whatever she needed, Dad took care of. I have never, in my life, seen my dad fight back tears the way he did last year. He is one of the strongest people I know, especially when he's trying to be strong for his family. 

Papa D is also the metric against which I measure every poor idiot I date. If they can't be even HALF the gentleman my dad is, and respect me as any woman should be respected, he's not worth my time. If he can't handle my unwavering sarcasm and quick wit (both I inherited from Dad), boy bye. Telling my dad that I'm seeing someone is always scary at first. I am not replacing the number one dude in my life, but I am trying to find his equal in this disgusting culture we live in. I usually wait until the 2nd or 3rd date before I even mention a guy to my dad - so that I can present him with plenty of information about this potential suitor. Dad likes to have all the facts, and if I can get them laid out before I tell him that a guy exists in my world, I feel pretty good. It's been a while since I mentioned any guy to him (sorry Dad, slim pickings lately), but I know when I do, he'll have a million questions and hope this might stick. 

When Mom and Dad moved 3 years ago, I figured it would be hard at first but being so far away would get easier over the years. I cannot express how important it is to love on your parents while they're still here. I talk to my dad more now than I did when he lived 20 minutes down the road. There are still very hard days, where I wish I could hop in the car and 20 minutes later be sitting in the living room (forcefully) watching a NASCAR race and laughing about something ridiculous, while drinking wine and making memories. 

He's (one of) my best friend(s), loves me through every up and down in my life. He supports my life choices, makes me laugh all the time, and reminds me to stop sweating the small stuff. Life hasn't always been easy for us, which is why I am always sure I tell him how much I appreciate him as much as I can. He shares my love of wine (he drinks the drier stuff, I love the sweet stuff), and any chance we get we hit a winery tour. Well, we used to. He is the glue that holds our family together, whether he realizes it or not. I am proud to say I'm his little girl, without any hesitation, and wouldn't trade him in for the world. Do we always agree? Nope. But we respect each other enough to understand where each other is coming from. 

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Father's Day is the one day a year we celebrate dads. Sure, we can shower them with gifts and hallmark cards, but being with them and celebrating them surrounded by family is what matters most. It's not about the money spent, its about the TIME spent.  

If you're viewing this holiday without a Dad, because he passed, my heart goes out to you. I don't know what I would do without my dad, and thinking about it breaks my heart. Know that your dad is with you in spirit and smiling on you always. Hold tight to the memories they gave you over the years, and celebrate the amazing man he was to you. 

If your dad is not present in your life by choice, know that you are just as important in this world than anyone else. If they chose to walk away from you, for whatever reason, do NOT hold guilt in your heart. It is not your fault - they chose to walk away. You have made it this far without them, and will continue to grow. See today as a day to celebrate the men in your life that helped raise you, that were always there to support you like a father would. Today is for them. 

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Dad - I don't say it enough, but I am so unbelievably grateful that God chose you to be my dad. To be the metric to measure men against. To be my best friend. To be my shoulder to cry on when I need you. To celebrate even the smallest victory in my life. Thank you for only judging me a little when the most ridiculous things happen, and laughing at me when I need it most! You're the world's best dad in my eyes. I love you SO much!