Some friends and I were talking the other day about reaching that point in your life when you realize your parents are actually people, and always have been, and are actually fun to know. I'm not sure when it was, but it's definitely been a while.
This Fathers' Day I spent some time thinking about what kind of father I hope to be, and how great my dad is, and how easy he made it seem.
My dad has taught me a lot of things. Granted, I like to tell people, "my daddy always said. . . " which is rarely, if ever true. My dad didn't dispense wisdom in fortune cookie bits along the way, but it makes for a better story that way.
Which reminds me, of all the things I've learned from my dad some of my favorites are his ability to turn his Texas accent on extra thick for Yankees (people who live north of Oklahoma), and his ability to not quite embellish, but enrich the details of a story.
I know there were times when he didn't have answers. I'm sure there were times when he had no idea what to do, and I remember times when he must have been so terribly disappointed. But I also never felt as though he lost faith--in me or anything else. That is a testament to the strength of his character.
I don't know that I'm capable of that sort of faith. I hope I am able to live and lead by example as my dad does.
All that being said, today Laura made some pancakes (and got the crispy edges, like my mom used to) and we went on a family bike ride. This was the first time she'd been on a ride since her collision, and she said it went well. Amelia hadn't been on a bike in a while either, and she seemed as though she had a great time.
This is right before we got geared up to leave. Amelia has a sign for helmet. One of these days I'll record her doing it, and post it, so everyone can see her sign language. All in all, it was a really happy father's day.
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