My Father

"With hands like spades and a heart full of love, my father, my father." - anon

It's fathers day today and a good time to reflect on those men in our lives, the fathers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers.

My dad and I growing up were the worst of enemies and the best of friends and its taken all these years to come full circle in a way. I must confess I am now a daddy's girl where moments come where only a hug from my pops will do and nothing else.

No one hands a parent an instruction manual on how to raise a child and alot of the time its the parent that are too, finding their feet in the world alongside their child.

Of course there are fathers who really shouldnt be fathers, ones who destroy their children's lives from the start with abuse of various natures. There are fathers who mess up and forget their children. But there are fathers who just did what they could and be there for their off-spring.

I grew up determined to never be like my dad with that young mind of mine, but as I grew up I saw he was just human and made mistakes like I did and just wanted me to do well and be safe and happy.
I now accept I am not going to be like him, I am my own person with my own mind and spirit and there never can be two replicas of the same person. I do however have traits of my father and similarities both physical and characteristics and I am in control of most of these.
I carry my father's dedication and the strong need to protect loved ones, his sense of humour is the same as mine and we both see the world with the same, gentle touch. Plus I got his eyes and apparently I take after his side of the family and stand the same way he does, like we are bouncers!

I am my father's daughter.

Isn't that what immortality is? Even when you're gone from this earth, parts of you live on in your children, nieces, nephews and grand children? Your grandchild could one day have your smile? Your great granchild could carry your stubborness?

My father did the best for his disabled daughter, his son and wife and overall, his young family.

And I thank him and love him.

I wish love to all the fathers I know. You guys rock!

Birdie Love as always.
xxx