Thank you Dad!

Ok, I know I just posted. But I can't really let this day finish off at all without recognizing all the wonderful daddy's I know. Even (or especially) the granddaddy's! I have been so incredibly blessed. I know that everyone says that, but in listening to people talk about their parents it has gotten me thinking a lot about my life and relationship with my parents. Especially my dad.

When I was little, I don't think I cause my Dad too much grief. Well, not anymore than most other kids anyway. But then I got to be a teenager, and then things blew up...especially with my dad. But we managed to survive all the blow ups, and all the midnight philosophy sessions, and then I was really mean. I went to college and decided to marry a kid that scared my folks to death (admit it guys, it is the truth!). Fortunately this time at least, I really did know what I was doing (thank heavens for prayer!!!) and things have turned out great. But through all of this, my dad has been the one that I think I've picked on the most in many ways. Yet he has still been there for me (rather than giving up on me like I deserved), and now I can have a 20 minute phone conversation with him with out either of us getting bored, not to mention all the other conversations that I've been lucky to have with him where he slips back to our 'late night philosophy' conversations when we get to try and answer all the unanswerable questions out there. And thanks to all that, I've found that when I have a problem that I can't answer all I've really needed to do is look back at the things that my Dad has talked about and the way he taught me to look at the world...and in the blink of an eye I'll know either where to turn for the answer or what the answer itself should be! I can find my answers thanks to Dad. Even when I was the most awful to him, I could still be myself with him.

And thanks to all that Dad has shown and taught me, I know that above all I have a Heavenly Father that I can look to...especially when I can't get in touch with Dad. Through my dad, I've learned about what a Father does to take care of and love his kids. And now I get the incredibly amazing experience of watching as my husband does that same thing for my kids in ways that I as a mother am completely unable to do.

So thank you Dad!!! All of you!!!