I intended to brag about my exciting adventures in
Cambodia during this blog but that will have to wait. I received news yesterday that tore at my
heart. A close friend lost her father,
she had no time to prepare for the impact or say goodbye, he simply left her
house after a visit and never made it home.
After receiving the news I sat at
the dining room table, not sure how to comfort a friend when I was so far
away. A phone call, a text an email, none
of these seem enough when you know someone is experiencing so much heart ache .
As I dwelt on how best to support my friend my thoughts turned to my own
dad.
I remember been a teenager when I read that the first man
a girl falls in love with is her father.
I imagine I was fairly repulsed at the time, how ridiculous and gross that
sounded. Fast forward to today and I
know this phrase is true. My dad is one
of the most amazing men I know. As a
little girl I wrestled on the floor with my brother and sister, in fits of
laughter as my dad tickled us. I remember a man who could build or fix anything
in his shed. He would meet us at the school gates when he could, buying us ice
creams on the walk home. As a little
girl he was the strongest man I knew able to wipe away a tear, brush the dust
off after a fall, hoist me on his shoulders and make my world better.
As I grew up my dad’s love for me never faltered even
when my teenage ways surely tested his patience. There are something’s in life that a father
never wants his daughter to experience but when my world imploded at 15 my dad
was right there. He held my hand, never
leaving my side and was a pillar of strength as I did my best to move on with
my life. I never knew how my dad felt at
that time, never asked him, just knew he was there doing his best to help his
daughter and as I sit here I don’t think I have ever told my dad how much his
strength meant to me.
I grew up and moved cities, visiting when I could, dad
never more than a phone call away. I
moved
countries, travelled the world and dad was still right there when I needed
him. When Princess Pants was born, my
father was one of the first people to hold her.
He held the most precious thing in my world so gently. I have a photo of him with her in his arms
she is barely 3 days old the look of love in my dad’s eyes as looks at her in
the photo melts my heart. I am so lucky
that Princess Pants has such an amazing relationship with her Poppa, and I know
he will love her and support her in the same ways he has always done for me.
As
I sit here and reflect I know that phrase is true. I fell in love with my dad as a young girl,
and as I have grown so has my understanding of the first man I loved. My father is the one person who I felt has
never judged me or any of the stupid things I have done, he has always loved me
unconditionally and has been someone I could always count on. He may no longer be able to hoist me on to
his shoulders but a hug from dad definitely makes the world seem a better
place.