Dads and Daughters

The above is a picture of me, at 4 pounds, almost 3 months premature, safely nestled in my Dad's hands. The picture was printed on some kind of heavy paper so you can still see the patterns of the paper. Nevertheless, it is one of my favorite pictures.

One day last week, my good friend, Donna, was talking about the song, "Butterfly Kisses." It reminded her of her relationship with her Dad. And that reminded me of a poem I wrote for my dad that is hanging in my hallway. It hung in his office.

My Dad was such a great guy. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a big, hearty laugh! He loved to tell stories. Isn't it interesting when you start to see generations that inherit certain characteristics? My children and I all have his laugh, especially my daughter.

He was an excellent writer. Throughout his life, he owned many businesses and almost every one of them was successful. But he also had a lot of adventures along the way. He always used to say that he worked really hard but he played really hard too!

As a child, I practically worshiped the ground he walked on, following him around wherever he went. We did a lot of fun stuff together. He loved our country and proudly flew the American Flag in every house that he ever lived. He taught me to love God, to go to Church, to pray, to love my country, to be honest and to care about others.

During the final month of his life, I celebrated my birthday and of, course, birthday presents were the farthest thing from any of our minds. After we got home, hubby surprised me with a large flag pole and flag in honor of my Dad. I carry on his tradition.

And here is my poem and artwork for my Dad. I loved him.