Today is Father's Day and for the past 24 Father's Days I haven't been able to wish my Daddy a Happy Father's Day. When I go into the stores to buy a card for Russ I sometimes look at the "To Dad from Your Daughter" cards and secretly wish I could mail it up to you in heaven. Sometimes I dream of what I would do, if I could spend one more day with you. So today on my little place in cyberspace, I will write out my dream and pretend that for just this one Father's Day, I am spending it with you.I would start the day lying in bed waiting for you to come to the door with your famous Sunday morning wake up call. I would then lie there a few minutes as I listen to you walking through the house singing an out of tune (but oh so beautiful) church song such as "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand...one of your favorites. It would start my day with a smile for sure. We'd all sit around for breakfast and laugh at some of our odd family humor. Oh how I love to hear your laugh. I can still hear it in my mind. We'd all get ready and head to church for the morning services. I'd want to sit right beside you and listen to you sing from your heart to your own little tune. I would close my eyes and cherish the sounds. Of course it would be your day to offer the prayer at services and I would listen as you start out your prayer with "Almighty God....our heavenly Father...." You always led such wonderful prayers. You had a way with words. After services, I would then selfishly take you off to spend the rest of the day with me....I would take you to the best restaurant I could find and buy you a big steak and whatever else looked appealing to you on the menu and then we would have an afternoon of conversation. I would ask you about your life and what you learned and what you would change or do better.....I would ask you about your fears and your favorites and what gave you nightmares from the war. And then, it would be the most beautiful blue sky sunny day so we would head out to the lake so that you could teach me how to fish. While we sat and watched the water ripple, I would tell you about my kids. I would tell you about what you've missed and update you on our lives. I would then call Russ and the kids to come and spend the rest of the day with us. You would laugh with the kids and speak a little bit of your wisdom to them. You would tell them what you've learned in your life and listen and advise them on what to do with theirs. They would ask you all the questions they can think of and tell you things they want you to know about them. At the end of the day you would give me your biggest and best hug and a kiss on the forehead and tell me that you are proud of me. You will leave me with a little bit more of your wise advice and then I would wave as you walked back to where you came from with a spring in your step and lungs that breath freely and I would yell, I love you Daddy and you'd turn back and say "I love you too, my little freckle-faced girl." Oh, if I could have one more Father's Day with you. It would be a perfect day and I would cherish it forever.
