5 Reasons I Love My Daddy

With Father’s Day approaching I wanted to reflect on just a handful of things that make my Daddy pretty stinking fantastic. Please know that I am a true Daddy’s girl, apparently from day one. I never had to doubt that I was a princess or worry about my kingdom because he orchestrated it all beautifully. He was my hair salon guinea pig when I was learning to do pigtails. He taught me to ride my bike, managed my rock tumbler and has willingly eaten almost everything I’ve attempted to cook… even the infamous bread pudding. He even captured a feral cat in a raccoon trap and then let me release it in his house. He is many things to many people but to me he is just Daddy which says a lot.

He’s a hard worker.

I’ve never seen my father turn down a task or challenge. I’ve watched him work all day only to come home to my car having issues or my kitchen sink flooding the cabinets and gladly undertake the task. He takes pride in doing a good job and he wants to take care of those he loves which he does exponentially! He’s coached ball teams, sat at band competitions, carried around dance costumes and more. This is a character trait he passed on to his kids and for that I am thankful.

He’s incredibly funny.

My father is a storyteller and his sense of humor never fails to amaze me. Some of my favorite family memories are just sitting around the dinner table listening to him talk. My sides ache and my cheeks hurt. I was once told that the soundtrack of your marriage should be laughter and growing up in my household has taught me the truth of that statement.

He’s incredibly smart and well-rounded.

Both of my parents love random knowledge and are pretty creative but I think I get my resourcefulness or at least my process from my father. He has always seemed to know everything or can figure it out. He’s great for advice on the mundane and the extraordinary. He brings a sharp eye and clear judgment to almost every project while offering amazing creativity and resourcefulness.

He’s loyal and supportive.

My father has always been supportive of me and my dreams. He came to all the dance recitals, band competitions, choir performances and spent hours watching me parade a fashion show of easter dresses, prom gowns and more through our living room. He has listened to my ideas of grandeur and spent hours turning them into a reality. From sorority letters to sets for a play… He has done it all because he wants to support my mission even if I’m a bit grandiose at times.

He represents so much security.

My parents’ home has been a place of security for me for most of my life. Safety from the physical and the intangible. Hurricane season always saw me heading to their house not because it was any more stable than my own but because if something went wrong Daddy would know what to do. When a crazy person tried to break into my home at 9 PM I had to stop myself from calling my father before the police because that seemed like the more logical step. When a tornado tore through my neighborhood it was my dad that climbed through mountains of trees and debris to see if my house was still standing. And one of my earliest memories as a child was having a horrible nightmare which found me in my parents’ room scared. He put me in their bed and slept on the couch. Safety rests within those walls and for that I am so grateful.

These words do not do justice to the presence of safety and assuredness that comes with my father but they are the best I can do.