My dad…

My dad is probably in some ways your very conventional dad. Has wisdom, that I don’t listen to, but wish I would have. He’s my very good friend. He helps me with stuff around the house, with Phyllis (could not have done it without him), lots of stuff. And he tells the dumbest jokes, that you just can’t help but laugh at… He’s a good joke teller, I think it’s a dad thing…

In some ways we have not always had the conventional father-daughter relationship, not because we didn’t want to, but that’s just not how it went for us. Like most people, I don’t think I learned about God from my dad. We didn’t really say prayers, God really wasn’t talked about, BUT he did put people like my gram and Aunt, Sissy, to teach me those things. My mom died when I was young, so at a young age I was part of a team that ran a household, cleaned, cooked… all that good stuff. But he was a really good dad, poor guy, had to get Mother's Day cards and dumb flower pots...

And about a month ago, maybe three weeks ago, my dad asked me (after a big fight we had) what I wanted from him. All I could think of was, “I don’t know, for you to be MY dad”. I love my dad for everything he does for Phyllis, I love my dad that he will help anyone out, I love my dad for so many reasons, but sometimes I just need my dad to help ME. Help me with the stupid lawnmower that won’t run right (sure I probably could have figured it out – but EW! – I was seriously going to buy a new one and all it needed was an air filter and a new spark plug – kids these days). Help me cut down that stupid tree that is growing out of my neighbor’s bushes, into my yard.

I just wanted my dad to be my dad.

We had a silly, stupid day today. We cleaned the boat, went out to dinner and like when I was a kid (my nick name was motor mouth) I talked my dad’s (and Deni’s) ears off. And then he came over to show me how I could rearrange my laundry area after I get the new laundry tub and then he fixed my lawn mower, cut down that stupid tree, helped me with the lawn. Dumb stuff. And you know… I just looked at my dad, and thought… that’s what I needed.

There are a hundred fights I could tell you that me and my dad have had, but I could tell you about a MILLION awesome dad-daughter moments that me and my dad have had.

He’s a great dad…

And his favorite joke he’s telling now…

Did you hear the Pope caught the bird flu?
He got it from the Cardinal.