Daddy's Girl part 1

Fewer things are more important, in my opinion, than a daughters' relationship with her Father. Daddy is there to protect you, to encourage you, to teach you, and discipline you, all the while loving you with the proudest sort of love. 

I am so blessed to say that my father was all of these things to me as a child, a teenager and even as an adult. I know not everyone can say that, so I do not take that for granted. My dad passed away July 23, 2009 after a short battle with cancer. I miss everything about having a dad. 

I always made it a point to be interested in things that he was interested in so that I could spend time with him. He worked from home on whatever business venture he was intent on at the time (there was LOTS of them!). I learned how to enjoy working in the fields, milking cows, caring for animals, butchering chickens (and yes I did actually enjoy it) chucking haybales, growing flowers and vegetables, building pallets and getting firewood. I enjoyed it because it was with him. He taught me life lessons while we worked, but mostly he just taught me to work! Inside the home he taught me that I needed to respect my elders, my parents and everyone around me. He taught me that the Bible was my life coach and Jesus my life. He taught me to be silly and enjoy life and not let circumstances define your joy. He engrained into me that money is not important. My dad didn't save for retirement or have a stockpile of inheritance cash for us kids when he passed away. In fact he told me years prior to his passing to never expect an inheritance from him because he planned to use it up helping people who really needed it. He did. I watched and learned. 

Was he perfect? Nope! Was he always right? Nope! Although he really like that joke that goes something like "once I thought I made a mistake, but I was wrong." Corny jokes. Dads have to quote them. It's like law or something. 

I miss him. I miss everything about him, imperfections and all. But now I have a daughter and my husband is her father. What an amazing thing to watch her with her dad! To see her long for his approval. To see her face light up with undeniable joy when she gets it. I love watching her try to like hockey and soccer when all she wants to do is dance. I love that she asked him to stand with her when she got baptized on fathers' day because she knew how much it would mean to him and she recognizes him as the spiritual head of our family. I love seeing her sit on his lap even though she doesn't really fit any more. I love how her eyebrows are exactly like his. I loved the incredulous look that was on his face as she made him a father. I love how proud if her he gets when he looks at her. Sometimes I get jealous that she has her dad still with her and I don't. But then I remember that I left nothing undone with my dad. I couldn't have had a closer, more meaningful relationship with him. But I still miss him. I miss everything about him...

Thankfully I have a Heavenly Father! 

My dad meeting my daughter for the first time.