It seems like just yesterday that I danced with my father.
I remember when I was 5 years old and running to him the minute I'd hear a Freddy Fender song play and stand on his feet and grab his waist so that we could dance together. Before the Last Teardrop Falls, was one of our favorites and he would hold me as we danced together across the room...I never wanted the song to end. And the lyrics were fitting:
I'll be there anytime
You need me by your side
To drive away every teardop that you cried..
I share a lot of blessed memories with my father along with life long lessons:
- Dad taught me that that cleanliness is next to Godliness. I never had a hair out of place, a stain on my clothes or a scuff mark on my shoes. If he could carry me so that I wouldn't touch the dirty ground, he'd do it...even now, if I'd let him.
- Dad could do the laundry, wash all the cars, vacuum the entire house, dust and cook up lunch all before 12noon.
- Wrinkles were not allowed. My brother and I walked around in starched and pressed clothes. Our creases had creases! Dad was a slave to the iron (It had to be the Navy man in him)
- Dad knew I sucked at math and he was always patient with me. My math problems never made sense until he'd show me how to do it
- When it came to deadbeat boyfriends, he'd let me fall. He always trusted that I was smart enough to make my own decisions when it came to guys and in the end I'd always drop the zeros
- My dad was in the military, so there were many times where he'd have to go out to sea-- 9 months to a year at a time. I remember how he'd take the family out for a drive the night before he had to leave and we'd get ice cream and just enjoy driving around with him until the sun set
- I remember when the morning would come for dad to leave to the ship for Westpac and I'd cry uncontrollably after he'd leave. I never wanted him to see me cry because I didn't want to make him sad or have his last image of me in tears
- I remember the Grease soundtrack that my dad bought me. I played it so much that I wore the tape out and he ended up buying me another copy
- I always looked forward to the road trips we made to San Antonio, Texas in dad's brown Camaro
- Because Dad was a stickler on having a well manicured lawn, he never let us have a Slip-n-Slide. "It damages the grass!" he'd say
- I remember the purple bike he taught me to ride without training wheels. It was the coolest bike ever and I'm sure he was on the verge of having a coronary watching me fall constantly. I'm surprised i wasn't wrapped in bubble wrap from the first attempt
- If my brother or I got hurt, Dad would automatically get upset, "WHAT?! What NOW?!" He immediately went into panic mode
- One of the hardest days of my life was having to tell my father that his dad, my grandfather, had passed away
- Dad was the first person to ever introduce me to rap music! He had the vinyl record for The Sugar Hill Gang, Rapper's Delight. I loved the song so much, that to this day, I still remember every single lyric. (I'm a pretty big hit at karaoke bars)
- My dad always waited up for me when I went out with my girlfriends. I'd always bring him home a late night treat like a dessert or Mexican food and we'd stay up in the kitchen and just talk
- When my mother would cook liver and onions (a dish I despised) Dad would say, "Mmmm, hÃgado (Spanish for liver)..eat it! It'll put hair on your chest!"
- My dad is an obsessive compulsive when it comes to locked doors. He'll quadruple check the front door and garage door before he goes to sleep. He'd always tell me to keep my car door locked when I went out and made me prove it as I backed out of the driveway
- When I decided that it was good idea to "bleach" my brown hair in the 8th grade and it turned orange, he said I looked like an Aztec Indian. I scoffed..but now looking back at the pic- Yikes, it was horrible.
- My dad washed his hair with soap and always smelled good
- Dad could always bake up a mean Bundt cake and cheesecake
- My dad was a stickler when it came to time management. If my curfew was 12 midnight, he meant 12 midnight on the dot. Not 12:01, not 12:03. If I wasn't through the door at exactly 12 midnight, I would expect him sitting and waiting for me on the stairs with a clock in his hand asking me if I knew what time it was
- "Where's my change?" was his favorite line
- "Dad, do you have a couple a bucks?" was mine
- I remember when The Wonderful World of Disney would come on TV when I was little. I would grab a pillow and make myself comfy on dad's lap and we'd watch it together
- I'd always pretend that I was asleep in the car when we'd drive home late from somewhere and he'd end up having to pick me up and take me to my room
- My father was such a great husband to my mother. He loved her and I reveled in the affection he showed her
- When mom and I would get in a disagreement, I would run to him and he'd listen- even though he'd usually be in agreement with my mother, I still felt like he had my back
- Dad was the only one who could make me laugh until my sides hurt
- Even when I visit my father's house today, the flood of warm memories fill my soul as soon as I walk through his front door.
My father was and still is, the epitome of a great man. His love and inspiration have transformed me into the woman I am today. He taught me to never settle for second best and brought me up knowing that I could have anything I wanted with hard work. His encouraging words and unconditional love continue to resonate. Every chapter in my life from childhood to adulthood to marriage and children~I continue to look to him for guidance.
The last time I danced with my father, it was during my wedding. And like the Freddy Fender song, I didn't want it to end. Deep inside, I felt that once the song ended and he let go..that I'd have to move on and let go of him. But..I haven't...and never will.
If I could get another chance... Another walk, another dance with him I'd play a song that would never, ever end. How I'd love to dance with my father again....
Happy Father's Day, Dad... I love you.
