Monday, April 19, 2010

Daddies and Daughters

"Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express."

--Joseph Addison

When I was a little girl in our church we would have an annual overnight "daddy/daughter" camp out. My dad has five daughters, four of us still on this Earth. My some of my favorite memories involve him packing up to go to this -- with four little girls. Other families were there yes but all I can say is this ...my dad was/is a very brave man.

Other memories I have are as in the Alan Jackson song Drive. Every time I see this video I think of my dad -- we did exactly that; pack up his old white truck and drive it off to the dump while he let me drive while sitting in his lap [the leather seat was hot on my legs, I was a girly girl and often wore those frilly dresses]. I had to be very young then, but I remember it.



I was also in the little miss pageant when I was a little girl. I am thinking I was five or six? Not sure. But I remember this event too from what seemed like the llllooonnnnggg walk from the hotel to where the pageant was at [it was just across the lawn in the same hotel but it seemed so very far]. There is a picture in my mother's hall of my dad posing with me and my crown when I became a 'finalist' in the event. That picture too, is one of my fondest memories.

He taught me to swim [jumped in the lake/pool after me many times], he taught me to ride a bike, [cuts and bruises and crocodile tears, oh my] he taught me to drive. He is still a big part of my life and a hero to me. He still gets silly with me and when I am at his house I am still his little girl. We are 'night owls' together. If I am at his house he will be up at 2 a.m. with me making grill cheese sandwiches. I love my dad. "I am a princess" to him. I want to be like him, I still say that, at 30 something years old today.

Is Mara your little girl? Are you her daddy or mommy? Yes I want her but more I want a family for her and for her to have beautiful memories like these. Thank you all for coming here, and for caring, and for passing word of her on.

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