A Father's Day Rambling

My Dad is a people person. He's that guy that knows everyone in the grocery store. Or if he doesn't know anyone, he ends up in a conversation with the checker that makes you think he's known them for years. He's been like that since I was little. I remember waiting in the car at a gas station while he talked to the guys next to us, who had obviously been duck hunting, and wondering who they were. Dad FINALLY quit talking and got back in the car and I asked,
 "Who was that?"
"Uh...I didn't catch his name. But they were just out duck hunting and..."
He proceeded to tell me how many ducks they killed, where they were hunting, what kind of camouflage they were wearing, where they were from, and who their aunt and uncle were.

My Dad has a beautiful singing voice. At least I think so. I grew up listening to him singing in church, usually on stage leading, and loving the bold sound his voice has in it. Even at home, Dad was always humming, whistling, singing something. Even if he didn't know the words....which he usually didn't. He still does that. To this day there are songs I have trouble singing in church without looking at my siblings and cracking up because we are hearing Dad's voice in our head singing the song with the wrong words.

My Dad is king of corny jokes. And then laughing at his own corny joke while we all roll our eyes, trying not to laugh, but not being able to help it. His laughter is infectious like that.

When me and my sister were younger, Dad usually helped us get ready for school and we would ask him to help us put our hair in ponytails. Don't ever EVER ask my Dad for a ponytail. He would tie it SO TIGHT , it looked like we had a face lift. One thing was for sure....our hair was not going to fall out of the ponytail when Dad did it.

We moved a lot when I was younger. In every new town I would quickly make a best friend (wonder where I got that from?), and Dad would inevitably refer to them as "Fred".
"How's Fred doing?", he'd say after hanging up the phone with them.
"Hey Fred! How are ya?", he'd say when they came to the house to spend the night.

Dad is responsible for my love of The Andy Griffeth Show, chocolate cake with milk poured on top and John Wayne westerns.

When I was born my Dad named me. Good job, Dad.

Dad has always been affectionate to my Mom in front of his children. When I was little, I would see them kissing and stare at them till they noticed. Then Dad would always make a big show of pretending he was trying to get me to go away, and quote that line that Jimmy Stewart says in "It's a Wonderful Life"..."Why'd we have to have all these kids anyway?!" Then he'd wink at me and I would giggle.

It was my Dad's sermon that God used to draw me to Himself and believe on Christ on one Christmas Sunday when I was about 6 years old. I don't even remember the sermon, but I remember my Daddy crying tears of joy as he prayed with me. I remember him squeezing my hand so tight it started hurting.

One of my favorite memories of me and my Dad is the day of my wedding. It was almost time for him to walk me down the isle and we were just hanging out in the tent. He almost forgot to take off his sunglasses before we left the tent. Our photographer captured some sweet pics of those last moments as a single gal.

Tomorrow is Father's Day. Here's to all the Dad's out there, but especially to my own sweet Daddy...Happy Father's Day. I love you.

-Jessie Rae