Dad

I miss my dad. He died 3 years ago, and I think about him a lot. Of course, I miss him on major holidays, but I miss him at the most unexpected times, too. That first November without him, Super D and I were in Walmart, and I saw a display of Brach's chocolate-covered cherries. I started tearing up, right there in the middle of the aisle. Super D panicked. He didn't know why I was crying or what to do. You see, my dad used to buy a box of chocolate-covered cherries for me every Christmas. It was our thing. Super D, sweet husband that he is, offered to buy my box that year.


I have a whole list of things that remind me of Dad: carousels, convertibles, the theme song from "Somewhere in Time", golf, pineapples, M.A.S.H., Liquid Smoke, softball, "Victory in Jesus", and raccoons. It's hard not to go through life without those small reminders.

Even more than that, I think about Dad while simply parenting my own children. The other day, I heard someone say that we often look to our parents' mistakes in parenting to guide our efforts. But as I look back at my dad and mom, I think they were fabulous parents. I know they weren't without flaw, but I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a lot from their successes. They were a team. They showed my brother and me what love is by pointing us toward God and by modeling it every day.

So, thanks, Dad. I love you. And I will model that love for my children, too.