Father’s Day is right around the corner so, I thought I would pause for a moment to thank my dad. When I sat down to write this, I realized that I probably haven’t even mentioned him on the blog. He lives about seven hours away from us and we get to see him a few times a year, but he hasn’t appeared in a post yet.
When I was growing up, I had a Leave It To Beaver attitude of what a dad should be and I thought my dad should be just like that dad.
My idea of what a dad should be involved going to an office during the week in a suit and tie. He listened intently to what he children were saying and gave hugs at just the time you needed them.
Well, my dad listened intently to my chatting on and on about writing and encouraged me to do more with it. He was not the type of dad that wore suits to work. Actually he probably wore them when I was very little, but I don’t remember them as I got older.
He loved music, art and plays. So, that is what he took us to. We spent hours in museums looking at modern art, attending concerts or sing a-longs, and once a year going to a play at the Kennedy Center.
He took us to his mother’s apartment too. She lived not to faraway our house. I wrote about visiting her on Sundays in my post Sitting Straight and Tall on Sunday awhile back. She wasn’t always an easy person, but my dad taught me that treating her with dignity was important.
My dad was raised in a very formal home by parents that loved him, but weren’t big on letting him know that or that is the impression I have always had of them. He is not very formal, but he brought with him into adulthood some of the formality he grew up with. Although he has more and more shared how much he loves me. I don’t think his parents were big on saying words of love.
I grew up knowing my dad knew about a lot of things. He was always reading book and newspapers to gain more knowledge. You could ask him about any topic and he seemed to know something about it.
It was hard to really feel like I really knew him when I was little. My parents divorced when I was eight and we saw him mostly on Sundays. As I grew up, I got to know him better and learned that there are many dads that don’t wear suits and every dad is unique and special.
As I mentioned, we don’t get to see him often, but JDaniel has recently decided he likes to call him on the phone and draw him pictures. I am so glad they have made a connection.
I am also thankful that my dad is part of my life and that he shared with me the interests that he loved.
This post is linked to Pour Your Heart Out and Alphabe-Thursday.
