This past weekend was my last dad’s weekend for my sorority,
so for the third year in a row, my dad (and mom) came down to Texas to spend
time with me. He was so excited for the weekend and had me sign us up for all
the things. We went to a brewery, a tailgate, a football game (Go Frogs), and
skeet shooting together. He opened doors for me, paid for my gas, took me to
dinner, and just did a lot of little things that seem insignificant, but really
meant a lot to me. Preparing for the weekend and reflecting on it afterwards, I
really did some thinking about how blessed I am to have such an amazing father,
role model, and lifelong friend.
Ever since I was little, I have been “Daddy’s Little Princess.”
My mom used to joke that when my dad was deployed or TDY with the United States
Air Force when I was really young, she would wait for my head to spin around at
the same time each day because I was mad that he did not come through the front
door like I thought he was supposed to. I was too young to understand that he
was out fighting for our country. Even though my dad was gone quite a bit in my
early years, when he was home, he was there for the family, fully engaged.
I have so many special memories with my dad from my
childhood because he spent so much quality time with me. When I was in second
grade, my dad would schedule his lunch to be the same time as mine and would
come check me out of school a couple times a month and take me to Sonic before
returning me back to school. We would get to talk and laugh just him and me,
without the distractions of my younger siblings at home. I cherish these
memories still to this day. He may not have realized back then the impact those
lunch dates would have on me, but I learned so much about his love for me
during those 30-45 minutes.
My dad loves to coach and teach people how to do things that
are challenging, and he does it with so much joy and patience. He taught me how
to ride a bike, coached all of my sports teams in elementary and middle school,
helped me train for a triathlon when I was only seven years old, and has been
teaching me how to skeet shoot for the past three years now.
Teaching me to ride a bike was no easy task. When I was in
Kindergarten, he first tried to teach me, but after many failed attempts, he
decided it was best to wait until I was just a little bit bigger. The next
year, right before I entered first grade, he spent a day or two holding my seat
and helping me stay balanced, dusting me off when I crashed into the mailbox
and encouraging me to try again, and then I got it. I honestly don’t know who
was more proud; him or me. Once I knew how to ride a bike with no training
wheels, we spent nearly every evening riding bikes together in the trails;
sometimes we had my siblings with us, sometimes we did not. We spent time
together enjoying nature and being physically active. Not even a year after I
mastered the art of riding a bike, my dad and I were training for a triathlon.
I actually won second place the summer before second grade after crashing into
another kid while swimming, choking on water, and wanting to give up. My dad
encouraged me to finish, and I did, and even placed. This was a crucial life
lesson he taught me without really realizing it at the time. Because he
encouraged me to finish the race, I now (almost) always finish what I start,
even if it is challenging, even if I get knocked down a time or two.
In case you didn’t know, I am the least coordinated, least
athletic, clumsiest kid in my family by a long shot. My dad did not care. When
I decided to play basketball, he signed up to coach. He did the same when I
decided I wanted to play softball and soccer as well. For about seven years, my
dad was either the coach or assistant coach of my teams. Through playing
sports, I learned about sportsmanship, teamwork, tenacity, and hard work. He
believed in me so much that I did things I thought I would never be able to do,
like be one of the go-to pitchers on my 6th grade softball team, or
make three-pointers, or even be a goalie. My dad always coached, taught, and
watched me with so much joy and pride, always encouraging me and spending time
practicing with me to help me get better at whatever skill I was working on.
Because my dad cheered me on and coached my teams, I became less clumsy, more
athletic, gained stamina, balance, and confidence, and improved my
coordination.
Now…the skeet shooting. It’s a thing we do every dad’s
weekend and my dad always gets super excited about it. He takes the time to
help everyone in our group learn how to hold, load, and shoot the gun, as well
as how to aim and how to stand. I am not exaggerating when I say I am SO BAD at this.
He often has to remind me to shoot with my eyes open. Even though I am not a
quick learner when it comes to this, he is still so excited to teach me, and we
bond over it every year.
Although all of these things my dad and I have done together
have helped me gain confidence and learn important life skills, the overarching
theme is the love he shows me each and every day. I used to completely and
totally take him for granted because I thought everyone had a dad that did
these kinds of things with them, but I eventually realized that my dad is
pretty special. When he had free time when I was growing up, he selflessly
chose to spend it with my siblings and me rather than doing whatever he wanted,
which is pretty incredible. Watching his face light up every time I come home
or he gets to come down to Texas is completely and totally heart warming. I do
not know what I did to deserve such a dad. God blessed me more than words when
He gave me such a giving, caring, loving Earthly father. I thank God every day
for my dad.
So, dad, thank you for being my hero, my knight in shining
armor, my first love. Thank you for showing me how I deserve to be loved by a
man. Thank you for loving my siblings, my mom, and me. Thank you for teaching
me and showing me how to love Jesus, and how Jesus loves me. Thank you for
instilling a fierce love for America in me. Thank you for being there for me.
And thank you for being you. I love you more than words can express.
Yours Truly,
Steph
#crying
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