I know. I'm 12*. Which would put my dad in his mid 30's because he was only 22 when I was born. Seriously. Only 22. And still, we never wanted for anything. Well, alright, I'm sure we wanted stuff, but we never needed anything we didn't have. My dad is, honest-to-goodness, the single most responsible person I know. Responsible with money. Responsible with career. Responsible with family. Responsible with life.
He also paid for my wedding which, to this day, is the most fun wedding I've ever been to. And, yes, it was mine so I'm biased. But I have not been to a better wedding. That includes the very fancy Ritz Carlton wedding I went to as a kid. And, okay, so if I went to your wedding, it was probably very nice and/or fun but my wedding had all the songs I wanted and all the food I wanted and the really good cake. My parents only had one daughter (unless there is a very deep, dark family secret they've never told me about. They told me for years that my childhood dogs went to live on a farm so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that I have a sister I don't know about.) so they had nothing to go on when they planned this wedding AND IT WAS STILL THE VERY BEST ONE IN ALL THE LAND.
During said wedding I sprung this hug on my husband.
My friend was married earlier in the summer and she'd hugged her dad on her way back down the aisle. It was perfect and inspiring and, just as my father-in-law introduced us I whispered to my husband, "I want to hug my dad." So no one was really prepared for it. Except, apparently, the photographer.
My dad made my wedding pretty perfect. (Okay, in fairness, it was a lot of my mom's doing but he was willing to keep writing checks. And hanging the white covering up on the stage. And wrangling a band of men together to change the church from ceremony to reception hall.) He also made my life pretty perfect. He is everything a father should be and nothing that he shouldn't be.
I made my dad watch the movie Father of the Bride more times than any of us probably care to count. To this day it is probably my favorite movie of all time. There's a scene near the end of the film when Annie's future in-laws bring over a car--their wedding gift to the happy couple. George runs inside (prior to seeing the car) to get the gift he bought for his daughter and future son-in-law. Annie runs in to see if her dad has seen the car...
Annie: What's that?
George: It's nothing. It's just a gift I was thinking of giving you guys. You know, it's something you said you didn't have but you wanted.
George: It's nothing. It's just a gift I was thinking of giving you guys. You know, it's something you said you didn't have but you wanted.
Annie: Can I see it?
George: Yeah, you know, it's--It's not the big, big gift, of course.
Annie: It's a cappuccino maker!
George: Supposed to be a good one. That's what they said at the store. It's, uh, top of the line. Makes great foam.
Annie: I couldn't love anything more.
(She exits. George watches her go.)
George: My feelings exactly.
So I'm, like, the least sappy person I know. More of a realist than a romantic. Sarcastic. German. I don't typically buy my dad serious cards with little poems about how I'm a better person because of him. I mean, that's the honest truth but I'd rather buy a card that says something about how the thing that makes him a great dad is the fact that he has a great kid and that kid happens to be me.
But the thing is, when it comes to my dad, I echo Annie's feelings about the cappuccino maker. Simply put, I couldn't love anything more.
* For the record, I was actually almost 22 at my wedding.
Your tribute to your dad made me cry. It was so beautifully poignant and smile producing at the same time. I never knew my dad and even at 66 (when you would think you would be over most things) I still have a wistful wish that I, too, had had someone to celebrate on Father's day. I am so pleased to see my son with his two girls, he is such a great dad-like his dad was. And I think how lucky they are to have him. dad's are so very important.
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