My Daddy

hay, yeah, this group of monkeys is my family. we are definitely a unique groupage of genes, but we can have some fun. One thing i dont like about these new digital cameras is that they take forever to take a picture. usually they go through like 3 flashes and there is all this technique about holding the button down halfway until a colored light comes on, and then push it all the way. what is a red/green colorblind person supposed to do? anyway, my family, yes, i love them, and though i see the ugly depths of the truly sinful person that i am when i am with them, i also see glimpses of Christ's unconditional love. Since i have been raised with the value of family togetherness in competition with God on the priority list, i thought i'd introduce them to you. My dad is a family doctor/farmer. he earns money in the first profession and loses it in the second, but he is passionate and skilled with both. He has such vivid memories of the special family memories of his childhood and wants so much for us to have the same, that i remember many family arguments and tears that were caused by expressions of his frustrations when all 7 of us couldn't sit down at the table together for at least 30 uninterrupted minutes. though at times i felt he was overboard with this, i do have many great memories of family meals. for those of you whom i have scarred with certain "dinner discussions" i blame it on my upbringing. this was our time to talk (not sing) about anything and everything from school to sports, to doctor stuff, to whatever might be going through one of our kid minds of ages 8-18. ok, i gotta go shorter if im gonna get through all of these people. i've always been a daddy's girl. one of my favorite memories with him was riding on the tractor with him to bring in hay from the pasture and seeing the beautiful fall trees and open pasture and (this is a secret) i would sing "home on the range" cause i knew he couldn't hear me above the tractor. i couldn't have imagined a greater happiness. and even when i was obviously much less talented than my siblings, he'd always come up with something to compliment me on to make me feel special. ok, actually, ill just write about daddy today i think, the others will have their other days. We used to run together a lot, and sometimes after running we would go by arby's and get a vanilla milkshake (we both have dessert weaknesses). I remember being 52 lb. and 52 inches tall and helping him with the other siblings to build our log cabin. i loved helping him build things like our log cabin, our fences, and the tree house. one time, just me and him were at the unfinished tree house, i fell through an unnailed board head first (i dont know how) and got hung on a nail. he took me to the office to stich me up, and even let me help sow in the stiches. of us 7, we are the most passionate about music. i wanted to be in the furman singers since i was little, because my daddy was. sometimes he'll just start playing his guitar and singing and ask me to harmonize or something. or when im playing piano, he'll bring in the guitar and we just jam together. he doesn't care that im not a great harmonizer, he just wants to spend time with his daughter. for over half my life, i thought my daddy could never be wrong. i would stand up for him in ways that really concerned my mama. she had to basically teach me that he wasn't perfect like God.
he has a corny sense of humor (imagine that) and loves to dream and do little sweet things for my mama. he couldn't contain his excitement as he was planning this renewing of vows second wedding this with my mama. he would find me, close the door, and then wisper the latest news or idea for this precious happening. He can tell the story of snodgrasses and the wide mouth frog perfectly. He loves to play Jon Denver songs. one time, after we chopped off the head of one of our roosters who was causing trouble, he gave us a hand's on anatomy lesson. we also got to help scale fish, squeeze out the left over pee, and take the eggs out of the pregnant ones. he loves to fish and camp out, and he is all about views of landscape and rich sounds of music. he used to eat a bowl of ice cream every nite, and when i was in high school, he still had the record for something on the weight board. he was a great quarterback, and even started furman football, but after hurting himself at spring training, he decided not so much. we've played tons and tons of front yard football. yeah, we have our moments of conflict, but afterwards, he is sure to show his fatherly concern and uncompromising love for me. even when i try to reject his love and really hurt him, he still loves me. I guess this is why i love to embrace the view of God as a Daddy. there have been countless times where i've just wanted to crawl in my daddy's lap and have him hold me tight while i just cry. when i was really little, i told him i wanted to marry him. he said he was taken at the moment by my mama, and that i'd just have to wait till my turn. im sure you all have great dads as well, but im not interested in swapping. oh yeah, and daddy taught us the monkey face. he can do a great rendition of "If i were a rich man" as well. if you ever see him, its worth your time to ask him to demonstrate. And even though he was the loudest yeller at basketball games (our coach even addressed this issue), he was my biggest fan. and he'll get me and him doughnuts whenever he can :)

just because i feel like writing this, im gonna write a poem that my mama cross stiched and put on the toilet seat of our bathroom, if you know me, you know i frequent this place, and well, i memorized the poem as a kid:
My Daddy
When daddy signs his name
he always writes M.D.
thats so people all will know
that he belongs to me
for M.D. means My Daddy
or something just the same
and that is why he always
puts these letters on his name
Some letters on his name are small
but these are not you see
he always makes them big like that
because he's so proud of me