Tomorrow is Father's Day so in honor of the Dad's that have shaped my life, I would like to tell you a little about these amazing men and the amazing legacy they have bestowed upon me and my kids.
First, the most amazing Dad in the entire universe, my husband and Ryan and Emily's Dad, Trouper. When we married, he became an instant Dad at 19 years old. While this isn't that unusual in the day and age of Teen Mom but in an instant, he embodied the quote "Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a Dad". He took to being a Dad a lot better than I took to being a Mom. It was like he was always destined to be a Dad. He's given the kids his heart, and taught them everything from their love of diverse music, to how to format a hard drive. He's patient, and even when they mess up and make a mistake (as all kids do), he makes sure to throw some humor into his lecture on life and screwing up, and makes sure they know that all mistakes are fixable and the true measure of a person is the way you pick yourself up after that screw up.
When my Mom started dating my now Stepdad David, I was a little less than thrilled. I didn't live near them so I didn't know how special their relationship was and, to be honest, I felt they were moving a little too fast. Yes, they had dated in high school, and yes, had known one another for 40 years, but my Mom is my Mom, and had been through a tough time and I wanted her to be careful. But, marrying David and bringing him into our family was the best decision my Mom ever had, well deciding to have three kids was actual the best but David was a close second. He's held my Mom together, and seen our family through some tough times. He's a man of God, and I know he prays for each of us daily. He's the rock my Mom needed, and it doesn't hurt that he has a hearing aid and can turn it down when we visit and storm through the house at all hours of day and night.
My Papa. I can't think of him without crying. I miss him day and night and I'm saddened that my babies didn't get to know him but I see glimpses of him in them. He loved his family unconditionally and taught me that love knows no bounds. He was quiet, but silly. He loved western's and I spent endless Saturday afternoons watching old westerns with him. He loved peanuts and always kept some by his place on the sofa and was the neighborhood Mr. Fix-It. He sat for hours on his front porch, fixing everything from bicycles to lawnmowers and even a car here and there. When he left this earth, in September of 1991, my life changed. He had been sick for a long time, and even though his pain was finally over, I wanted to be selfish and have him here with me. There are some days when I can still hear his voice, and still see him sitting up, waiting for me to come home on a Friday night. Precious memories about the most precious man that ever walked this earth.
Divorce is war, and the children are usually among the causalities or so we were in my parent's divorce. My parents married young, in a time when that's what you did, and were mismatched from the start. Part of me often wonders if they ever really loved one another, or if they were just victims of "teenage love". Nonetheless, they divorced when I was 5 and my Dad became the summer/weekend dad. Because of this, I truly never got the chance to know my Dad until I was an adult. When we moved to Georgia, part of the reason was so I could get to know him and when I did, I found out my Dad is a really nice guy. He's funny, and tells the best stories. He's easy to talk to and no matter what happens, takes it with a grain of salt. He shows up when I need him and was the only Grandpa at cheerleading competitions. He doesn't judge, and although I've often wondered where I fit in with his family (him and my Stepmom had two sons) he never let me feel unloved or out of place with him. I'm so glad I've gotten to know him, and know that if I ever want to talk about the history of Texas Longhorn football, he's my Man!
