Happy Father's Day - What does it mean to you?

  Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there today =)

    Growing up I was very blessed and lucky to have such an amazing, caring dad. It sucks that many children grow up now-a-days without knowing anything about there dad or who there dad is. That kind of sucks, and I wish you could experience the love of a father, to be there for you and pick you up when you need picking up, a shoulder to cry on, a friend to talk to.

    I was a daddy's girl, always and forever I will remain a daddy's girl. My daddy means the world to me. A lot of people get pissed off at me when I say I love my dad ten times more then my mom. But it is the truth. I have a closer relationship and such a close bond with him that my mom and I do not have.
    From the time that I was baby, I always remember my daddy being there for me. I think the reason that I am closer to my dad, is when I was a baby, my mom was very sick throughout her pregnancy and after having me, remained ill for quite some time. So it was dad who took care of my brother and I.
   I can remember following my dad everywhere and being literally glued to his leg most of the time. I remember when I was little and we would go somewhere, how he would reach done and grab my hand or pick me up and throw me on his back for one of my most favorite things in the world piggyback rides or throwing me on his shoulders! It felt like I was sitting on top of the world! I pretty much was! I miss those days :( I always felt so safe when he was around, he was my knight in shinning armor! He was always there to keep me out of harms way, to protect me - such a soothing a comforting feeling!
    I was the one who always wanted to be my daddy, whether it be out in the garage working on a car, the boat it didn't matter - as long as I was there with him, by his side!
I was his little tool girl! He would tell me what tool or tools he needed and I would run and get them for him. When he cut the grass, I wanted to be on his lap, riding around on the John Deere laughing and just having a good time and loving life. When he was watching TV laying on the floor, I was laying right next to him. I was his Hockey buddy! We loved Hockey and still till this day, we both have a love for hockey, that most people do not understand, except for him and I.
    As I grew up, yes there were my days that I would get pissed at him, he would get pissed at me. But then I would sit there and cry and think about those days when I was tiny enough to be on his lap, or him holding my hand crossing the street and I would smile and thankful for him caring so damn much, and realize that even though we were butting heads that he was still not just my dad, but my best friend.
   He was the one that helped me with my homework, he was the one that paid for my gymnastics training, he was the one that provided for me growing up. He was and always will be my hero! I spoiled him with back scratches and back massages, even though it may not seem like a lot, it was my way of saying thank you! Thank you for everything.
   I miss the days of getting up at the butt crack of dawn to go fishing and be out on the boat for hours at end! I miss the days of going hunting with him, and sitting in the woods waiting for our next kill. I loved rabbit season!
    When we grow-up and move on with life. Some of us get married, have kids and so forth, move out of state away from our family. I will never forget the day when I told my dad that I was moving, the look on his face was almost of pure disappointment, but he understood why I was doing it. We both cried, but I told him no matter what, he will always be my daddy, and that I will always cherish every moment that we had spent together always. Always and forever. He just didn't want to lose his baby girl, but I explained to him that I will always be his baby girl, whether it be 2000 miles away or 50 miles away. He knew for a long time that this day was going to come, he just didn't realize that I was going to move from East Coast to West Coast. However, I did remind him that is what planes are made for!!! Both of us having serious back issues though, I do understand the discomforts in flying, even if it only is for 5 hours. But, it's 5 hours that I figure I can deal with the pain for, just to waiting for the moment to run up to him and give him a bear hug!
    The best surprise ever was last summer, when I decided that I wanted to go home and visit, it had been almost 6 years since I had been home to visit. I went for 2 weeks, the only people that knew were my mom and a couple of my friends. I wanted to surprise everyone else! Most of all I wanted to Surprise him! So my mom and I kept it a secret for months! It was hard sometimes, and a few times that I almost slipped and said see you soon, but caught myself in the process! I was staying with a friend, it was hard not blowing it that I was in town. So, I had called my mom to see where they were after a day or just resting, and when she told me they were at the lake I was so happy! So my buddy threw me the keys to his Harley and off I went for a nice 60 mile ride up to the lake! It was one of the hardest rides ever, because I hadn't seen my parents in almost 6 years, but I couldn't wait to see the look on his face! When I pulled into the campground, I pulled in very gingerly and hoping that he wouldn't see me as I didn't know where he was. He was off helping a friend and I drove right past him and his friend and neither of us noticed! When I pulled up in front of their cottage, my mom of course came running out and we hugged and kissed each other and hoped on her golf cart to go surprise him! So when we pulled up, she called his name as I hid behind the golf cart, she yelled Bill, I have a surprise for you, and I popped out and tears just started flowing on both ends! I ran up to him and he just kept saying it's my daughter, it's my baby girl, oh my god, it's my baby girl, he picked me and hugged me so hard and felt like eternity! It was one of the most amazing feelings in the world! A moment that I will cherish forever in my memory and heart. It was the best 2 weeks ever! It was like old times!
    That was the second time I got him good! The first time I surprised him was on his 60th birthday, when my mom threw him a surprise party! I hid out in the bathroom & called my mom, she handed the phone to him and I cried telling him how I wished that I was there to celebrate with him. He kept asking me where I was! I told him home sitting in my recliner watching TV. It took some convincing but I got him to believe me a s I walked out of the bathroom, everyone was making noise when I first walked out to cover and keep him from turning around and he was like hold on, I can't hear you!! I was like ok! And the room got quiet, you could hear a pin drop as I tapped him on the shoulder, and asked him "Hey Can You Hear me NOW?"!!!! I thought he was going to have a heart attack on me, the look on his face, he jumped up so fast and cried and once again embraced me so hard that I had to tell him that I couldn't breathe! There was not a dry eye in that room. Being surrounded by family and friends, all knowing how close my dad I are! Another moment that I will always cherish in my heart and memory forever!
   So, as I sit here on this Father's Day, I just can't but help reminiscing back to all those times that my dad was there for me. I thank my dad for being one of the best dad's in the world! I called him first thing this morning to wish him a Happy Daddy's Day and tell him that I wished that I was there to celebrate it with him. And then we go straight into our hockey talk session! Laughing and joking around - just us being us!! And it drives my mom crazy, because growing up they always told me that I was my father's daughter! Which is so very true! I act like him, talk like him, I am his mini-me and I wouldn't have it any other way! It doesn't matter that I am 41 years old, to him I will always be his baby. And I can honestly say that it is one of the best feelings ever! I LOVE YOU DADDY and I WILL ALWAYS BE THANKFUL FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME, ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME, EVEN TIL THIS DAY. I WOULDN'T WANT ANYOTHER DAD IN THIS WORLD!!!!

    I would also like to wish all the other Dad's out there today a very Happy Father's Day to you. I hope you have a bond with your children as I did with my dad, and that you never lose it. Just be patient with your children. The teenage years are the hardest for any parent. As a teenager, kids will always push away from there parents in one way or another, but they always seem to come back to you. I know I did. I had to get out live life and get those life experiences in, just like any normal kid will want to do. Just be patient with them, be there for them, get pissed at them, because that's what parents do, just don't turn your back on them. Because soon enough they will realize, that you, their parents will always be there for them. No matter how bad they screw up. When they come to you and say they want to talk to you, listen to them with an open mind, don't get all bent out of shape about what you are hearing good or bad. When they are done, guide them in the right direction, answer there questions and calm there concerns. Just be there for them. Tell them you love them unconditionally. Especially in today's society, which is so different from when I was growing up. Reward them when they are good, not just to get them out of your hair, or because you don't feel like dealing with them at that point in time. Take time out of your schedule or busy day and set that time aside for family time with your kid(s) and enjoy it, because before you know it, they will be graduating high school, graduating college, moving on with their life, getting married and having a family of their of own, if that's what they want. Cherish every minute you spend with them, as if it was their last day with you. Make them your priority. Teach them, learn from them, guide them and just love them. Be there for them, because as you will learn, your child will always need you at one point in time and they are going to want to run to you, the one they love and look up to.

  Enjoy your Father's Day!