It's my dad's birthday today.
He doesn't spend time on the internet or read blogs so it's entirely possible this post is more for me than anyone else. But, if he sees it, I hope he appreciates it.
Growing up, my parents were divorced and I lived with my dad and two older brothers. Let me tell you, puberty is rough in a house full of boys. Let's just say that I didn't know it was normal to have a garbage can in the bathroom until I was like 17. (Thanks, Holly!)
My dad was one of my favorite people though. We'd watch tv together (American Dreams, y'all!) and listen to oldies in the car. He came to literally every single cheerleading event I've ever been to in my life. Like, there were cheer moms and then there was Karl. (yes, I called him Karl in public. it was the only way to get his attention when football was happening).
Looking back, it's honestly amazing the amount of support he gave me just by being there. Like, would most dad's wake up at 5am to curl your hair for a competition? Doubt it. Would they laugh along with you when you'd make up cheer routines to Green Day (secretly knowing that no one would ever accept them)? I don't know, but he did that. Would they come to school to yell at your counselor for giving you a career aptitude test that told you you were destined to become a chainsaw operator? He did that.
Our relationship wasn't always sunshine and rainbows. We would yell at each other at the top of our lungs and argue about the dumbest things but no matter what, he came to my room to apologize eventually. I think it's one of the main reasons that I can't go to bed angry. I literally just realized that those two things were related. I recently read a journal entry I wrote about how angry I was with him over something mundane and stupid (teenage angst) and it was hilarious.
Now that I'm grown up (HA!) it's crazy to look back on things with fresh eyes and be able to appreciate my dad. This is the guy who we quote more than we quote movies (lackasickuva). This is the guy who I can call crying when my move isn't going as planned. This is the guy I voluntarily vacation with because he's genuinely one of the most fun people to be around. This is the guy who supports me in everything I do or even want to do eventually. And he's the gold standard for what a man should be.
Anyway, this may have been boring for you to read and I don't really care. He's my dad. It's his birthday. And I love him.
I mean, just look at that picture. Cry laughing. At a wedding. That's awesome!
xoxo
Amanda
No comments:
Post a Comment