It has been ten days since my last blog. I do have somewhat of an excuse but I guess when it comes down to it I just slacked off on some of my disciplines. I was out of town all last week and did a lot of driving during that time. It was a work trip that I thought was lasting three days and it ended up being seven which was OK except that I only packed enough clothes for three. Needless to say, I was very happy to do laundry when I got back and stop wearing the same clothes over and over again. It was nice to get away for awhile but I did get out of my routine of writing so here's to getting back on track and getting these thoughts of mine down on paper.... well, cyber-paper.
Today would have been my dad's 60th birthday. He passed away in 2004 and over the past few years I have tried to make his birthday a day to remember all of the good times that we shared. There are plenty of great memories and really funny moments that help make this a good day for me and my family. My sister, Christy, and I were just talking about growing up and the time we went through the drive-thru at McDonald's. When the lady handed Dad our drinks, one of the extra-large drinks spilled all over Dad's lap! We all froze because we weren't sure what would happen next. Dad's way of cussing would be to say "Oh, foot!" and so he said it (a couple of times I think) and then went inside to get cleaned up. Of course as soon as he walked inside we were all laughing and he came back to the car in a better mood that when he left - but I always laugh thinking about that. Christy and I were saying that if that happened to one of us today, we probably would not have handled it as well and there might have been other words said besides "Oh, foot!"
As in most families, birthdays were a big deal and for each of our birthdays, Dad would make a "Happy Birthday" poster complete with drawings and funny sayings. There were plenty of surprise parties given over the years, presents, lots of cake and ice cream, and eating at our favorite restaurants. When I think back over the years of celebrating Dad's birthday, I honestly could not tell you many of the presents we gave him but I do remember being together with friends and family and celebrating another year with my dad. More than the presents, that is what my dad likes best about birthdays - just being together as a family. Now I have my own tradition and way of remembering Dad on his birthday - I go to Shoney's and eat a hot fudge cake! This was one of my dad's favorite places to eat. Whenever we would go on vacation you could count on at least one trip to Shoney's, usually for breakfast, and Dad would make many trips to the buffet and definitely get his money's worth! I did learn that his love for this restaurant came from his own childhood and growing up in a large family. It was a great place to take everyone and get the most for your money - so Dad kept that going with all of us. Well, he did for the most part - if we had a choice, we never chose Shoney's and I have to admit that even now, I am only there one day a year - but it's a great way to remember Dad and just be thankful for the time that we did have with him. And yes, the hot fudge cake is really good :)
My dad has played such an important part of my life and is a constant motivation to make the most of my time here. He made such a difference in people's lives and knew the joy of focusing on what is really important. Even though I miss him every day, today is a day to be happy and realize the privilege I had of calling him dad.
Today I am grateful for: 1. A great trip out of town last week 2. A really great Easter service on Sunday 3. Seeing Martha Ann & Wylie yesterday 4. Remembering Dad today 5. Enjoying that hot fudge cake later on!
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