My Daddy is the super glue, the rock, the go-to person for our family. Although we have all probably caused him more stress than one man should have to endure, he is our strongest supporter no matter what.
When I was growing up, Daddy used to say that I needed to go in the medical field. Anesthesiology, he said, was a good idea. Never will I forget the day I told him I wanted to be an English teacher. I can't help but wonder what kind of high school English class experience he had..."Why? What would make you want to do THAT?" His wish did come partly true...I can still put people to sleep--they just get in trouble for giving in to it!
And yet he supported the change in plans...sent me to school, even TOOK me to school when I had to return the week after Robert was born and wasn't supposed to drive. He was there for all the kids to be born -- wait...he was a little late for Robert's because we couldn't get up with him in time, and Robert came in kind of a hurry. But he was there when I woke up the next morning. He's been there, with Mama of course, for all the grandkids and great-grandkids, too. Even when Lauren's planned "easy night in the hospital and y'all just come up in the morning" turned into "Hurry! They're taking her to surgery!" he got them there. Robbie's mother said, "He was really moving, and I wouldn't have wanted to be driving, but he wanted to get there." And he did.
Daddy is the voice of wisdom and experience in our family. We all listen to him...his kids, our kids, the transplants into the family --everybody. My kids have talked to him about making job changes or purchasing a business or large item. He always gives good advice, and they always listen. Once Daddy called around to see if we all wanted to go out to eat. It was a spur of the moment thing, but we all dropped what we were doing and went. Kenny said it best when Mama commented on how amazing it was that we could all go and nobody had anything going on. "It didn't matter what was going on. When E.F. Hutton speaks, you listen." Ha!! That's become the family nickname for Daddy -- E.F. Hutton. Betcha didn't know that, huh Daddy?
One more important thing about Daddy, he SEES things...really. I don't know how, but he does. Here's and example: Once David was "practicing" driving Daddy's truck around the yard. When you live in the middle of a pasture, you can do that, you know. He had the tailgate down and accidentally backed into something...a tree or something. Scared to death, he parked the truck so Daddy wouldn't see the tailgate as he drove up. He shouldn't have used the energy. Daddy came in and his first question was, "What happened to the truck?" That's when I knew not to ever try to pull anything over on Daddy.
When I was young, Daddy worked away from home for a long time. He would be gone for the entire week, come in on Friday night, and leave on Sunday afternoon. Sometimes he would be gone two weeks at time because of the distance. On Friday night we met him at the truck like he was a moviestar, and on Sunday afternoon I cried when he left. We got to go with him on Spring Break, and that was fun. I never wondered why Daddy worked like he did; I always knew it was for us. Those weeks away from home couldn't have been easy for him either, but he had a long-term goal -- he saw a future for us that he wanted.
Now that he is retired (I use that term loosley because he is NEVER still...chicken houses, pool work, church work...) he has more time to enjoy the little ones in the family. He helps Mama when a baby is going to be around the house, and the kids LOVE to see him. If Grace is here and sees his truck coming up, she says, "ZiZi, look! It's PAPA!!!!" I think he has a fan club :) Whenever he can, he goes over to the river, not only for his own enjoyment, but to have things ready for us when we get a chance to go.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I'm so glad God picked you to be my daddy.
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