But just for the record, J, you are one amazing father. You remind me so much of my daddy. You love our children unconditionally and would go to the end of the earth for anything they needed. Or wanted, for that matter. You spoil them way too much. You are there for every milestone and event. You have invested so much of your time into mentoring Bubba and other young boys while coaching them.
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| Papa, J, and Bubba - all three share the same birthday! |
And you know what? I fell even deeper the moment you held Pumpkin. I don't know what I did to deserve a man like you, but I am so thankful God blessed me with you!
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After church on Sunday, we met J's dad for lunch. I was pretty tired. My main goal was to make it through lunch and get a nap, as pumpkin had not slept quite as well as usual Saturday night. (Coupled with the fact that I stayed up too late!) My eyes felt as though they weighed 5 lbs each. But to be real, I was also in a funk. Father's Day is still hard. I really didn't feel like much conversation, kinda the way I felt for the first year after Daddy passed away. I thought about him lots on Saturday, wishing he could just see how Bubba has grown and matured and what a treasure Pumpkin is. I am so thankful for my dad who loved me unconditionally and taught me so much about life. His stature was small but his heart was huge! He was the most giving and forgiving person I have ever known. He could truly forgive, forget and move on. Daddy also taught me to work hard. He owned a grocery store and taught me to use an adding machine at the age of 5. By 12, I was working on the weekends as a cashier.
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| Daddy with Bubba and my niece- last vacation with us. |
Daddy, also affectionately known as "Papa" was hands down one of the funniest people ever. Not because he could tell jokes, but simply by being himself. He was the type of person who would make you laugh without even trying. The stories about Papa would take days to tell. I vividly remember our annual beach trip every summer with two other families. Daddy would meander out to the pool sporting a thin white undershirt with his pasty white bird legs dangling out of his athletic shorts or swim trunks. But that folks is not the worst. Against those blinding knobby legs... he flaunted..... black. knee. socks. & dress. shoes! Oh yes he DID! Enough embarrassment to last my whole life, I tell you!
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| Bubba and Papa were tight buddies - two peas in a pod for sure! |
Here are just a few more of his famous escapades:
- Once he almost fell out of a booth at a restaurant because he was leaning over looking at an attractive waitress. And why yes, my mom was sitting right there!
- He told my mom she wasn't much to look at but she was a good girl (before they were married!)
- He always joked and said my mom was "half Indian- half bulldog; when she wasn't on the warpath, she was sitting on her tail growling." He never meant this stuff in a cruel way, he loved her very much and loved to aggravate her constantly.
- And one of my personal favorites: My mom, who was recovering from a chronic illness at the time, had been out working in the yard. Daddy had been trying to get her to quit and go rest. Finally he goes out in the yard and yells to try to convince her once again. But all the neighbors know is exactly what they heard that evening out of his mouth.... "Chris! I told you I want you in the bed NOW!" Imagine they weren't too shocked a couple of months later when they heard him yelling again..( this time to a cat, but the neighbors could only see he and my mom) "If you are pregnant again, I'm gonna take you out to the woods and leave you!" I swear its the truth. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!
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