Daddy's Day

Happy Daddy's Day to all of the daddies out there! I know that the appropriate name is Father's Day, but I always thought that "Father" seemed so distant, while "Daddy" more accurately sums up the safe and fun feeling of paternal love.

I lost my daddy almost three years ago. And strangely enough, today doesn't really make me miss him anymore than any other day. Because for me, this day is no different than any other. My father was, and will always remain, the greatest man that I have ever known...on Father's Day, and every other day of the year! And I try to celebrate him every day by remembering his great love of family, by laughing often-as was his habit, and by living my life in a way that would make him smile with pride.

I have many memories of my father's love, but there is one memory that stands out above all others. When I was about three or four, we went to visit a friend of Daddy's. This man had some baby chickens, and I fell in love with them. The man told me that if my dad could catch them, I could take them home with me. My next memory is of holding my newest pets in a small box, while my dad leaned against the bed of his blue Ford pickup. My eyes were drawn to his hand, which was bleeding from a vicious attack from the mother of the baby chicks. I remember looking at that stream of blood and thinking, "Wow! My Daddy loves me so much. He got hurt just to give my by baby chickens."

I am the person that I am because of my Daddy. And I will choose to live my life in a way that honors who he was and who he wanted me to be. I will laugh. I will love. I will give up security in order to reach for better things. I will play jokes. I will be sarcastic. And every day I will remember that I am my Daddy's daughter, and know, that today and every other day that, being his daughter is one of the greatest things to be.