.the man i call 'Daddy'.

I contemplated writing this post because I'm just no good when it comes to mushy gushy stuff.  not because i'm not sentimental...but because i'm too sentimental.   I start crying just thinking about writing a post about my daddy.  but, it needs doing.  so, with the image of a pathetic looking almost 23 year old hugging a jumbo box of tissues and looking like a big ball of mess, read on having been warned.

dad. daddy. dada. papa. pops. daddio.

all good names for the person who gave me half of his genes.  but not good enough.

giver. defender. guardian. protector. counselor. friend.
these are better names, but still not good enough.

 

hero.

 

my dad is my hero.  he always has been and he always will be.  there isn't a time in my life that I didn't have his support, love, comfort, and friendship.  everyone in my family has always told me that i'm just like my dad.  and to me, that's the greatest compliment anyone could ever give me.  I am his number one fan.  no one could possibly love him as much as I do, except, maybe, my mom. 

 

outside of the family there aren't very many people that really truly know my dad and who he is.  but here is just 1 story that i think shows, in a very small way, how my dad is.  it's one that always comes to mind when I think about my daddy.  and one that sums up just how, in his simple and gentle ways, he's always been there for me:

 

when I was about 14-15 years old I was having a hard night.  I was so dead tired but could not fall asleep.  I've never had that experience before.  i'm one of those people that can go to sleep easily.  my dad was up late and ready to go to bed and came by my room to say goodnight when i told him that I just could not go to sleep.  I was becoming emotional about it because i had a long school day ahead of me and was so worried about how hard it would be with no sleep. it sounds ridiculous now, but to a tired teen it was a big deal.  i think he could see how stressed I was about not sleeping, which made it even harder to relax and get to sleep.  without saying a word, he walked into my room, crawled into bed with me, and talked with me for the longest time.  we talked about everything and anything.  being a tall kind of man, with a relatively loud voice, i was touched to see him try to squeeze into my small bed with me, and to hear him talk to me with such a gentle and tender voice.  we talked for what seemed like hours before i finally fell asleep.  he stayed there for a good while longer, i'm sure, trying to wait until i was in a deep sleep. 

as he was trying to get out of bed without waking me, the bed creaked and i woke up to see his face right above mine.  he gave me a gentle kiss, whispered a 'good night', and quietly walked out of the room towards his own.  i laid in bed for a few minutes just wondering what i had possibly done to deserve that wonderful man as my father.

 

It sounds simple.  it sounds like something any dad would do.  but it was much more than that.  it meant more because it was a testament to me of his love for me.  that he would sacrifice his sleep, his personal time, and do something I didn't ask him to do.  he knew that I needed someone.  he knew that it would comfort me, calm me, and help me to fall asleep.  but he never knew that it would be something that stayed with me for years.

 

I could go on forever about my daddy.  I won't.  but I could.  he is one of my best friends.  and he is honestly someone I feel I could go to and talk to about anything.  he may not have advice that I want to hear, but he always has words that I need to hear.  he will never know...never ever know how grateful I am for his sacrifices in my life.  and now, in the life of my daughter.  she adores him. who wouldn't?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Dad is my hero.  always has been.  and he always will be.  for his unconditional love for my mother, all of my siblings, and now for my husband and sweet daughter.  for his faith in Christ.  for his never-ending sacrifices.  for the person that he is.

 

i love you daddy of mine.  i may be a wife and mother now and may not be a little kid anymore...but you will always be my daddy.  and i will always be your baby girl.

 

Happy Father's Day Daddy!







love, your Amy Lee