Ode to Dad

I thought a lot about my dad this weekend, as did most people because of Father's day. So many are missing their dad's...I love and hate what holidays do to people. I am fortunate enough to still have my dad and live near enough to see him weekly. I'm a tomboy, and a daddy's girl...we have a special bond now...
I thought of all he taught me. We fished, he taught me to drive a stick shift (because "no real driver" settles for only knowing automatic...I can't tell you how many times that has come in handy), we did maintenance on cars, he taught me much about the sports. He prepared me to take care of myself, yet was my hero as an adult. I called him when anything broke, my hamster got terminally ill (yes...I was an adult...I was heartbroken, as dumb as it sounds, he euthanized him with gas from the stove for me...I was hysterical...), I called him when an intruder was in the house and my husband was at sea (he said, hang up...call 911...then call me right back...not sure why I called him first. lol) I really am so very thankful that we had time to develop such a sweet relationship.

I take after him in many ways...we have similar senses of humor. Though mine is tempered by also taking after my mom a bit. lol Because he's my dad...and my mom is my mom...I trusted his, apparently unbelievable, stories.

My dad told me that when I was born, they were so poor that they could not afford a crib, so they kept me in a dresser drawer. That all you really need is love to take care of a family. He was only 19 when I was born, and military men did not make much back then and they only had one room anyways, and I turned out just fine. When I was 30 and telling my own kids this story (the oldest was a teenager), my mom was horrified. "YOU BELIEVED THAT STORY?!?!?! You had the best crib made back then...we weren't rich, but you had a crib!" Dad thought that was hilarious...now he adds that he used to shut the drawer if I cried too much. lol

My dad also told me that his dad's last name was "Two Feathers,but he couldn't get a job, so he changed his name to Dockins. He meant to make it Dawkins, but he misspelled it, so we're the only ones. If you ever meet anyone else with that last name...they're your cousin." In my lifetime, I never have met another Dockins outside of my family. My grown daughter told me that her friends didn't believe it...I swore it was true...after all, my dad said so. So this year, I decided to let a friend research it for me...but I couldn't remember the type of feather it was. So I asked my dad. He said, "You believed that old story?!?!?!?!" My 26 year old daughter, may never forgive me for that one. lol

That being said, I just had father's day dinner with him...and laughed until I cried with him...he is such a blessing. At the same time...any time he said anything, I turned to my mom and said, "Is that true?" I love my dad, those unbelievable stories I believed...all of them...I actually cherish them...though I shake my head at myself sometimes and think, "I believed that story?!?!?!" with a chuckle and a smile.