A Tale of Two Fathers, Part 2

It's kind of a strange thing when your significant other is a father. It's like you get this glimpse into the future of that person's parenting potential. If you're lucky like me, he's an incredible, engaged, and loving father. One that you would be proud and lucky to share a family. And to be perfectly honest, I never wanted a family until I met and fell in love with him and his daughter.

And boy, I am so proud of him!

I think fathers usually get a bad reputation. There's this favoritism for the mom in society, which is completely understandable (I know, ladies! Nine months, I get it!). Plus, let's face it. There are some pretty lacking fathers out there. But I do think fathers are often overlooked or taken for granted.

That's why I'm so proud of him. He tries so hard to be present and involved in his daughter's life. He wants to and loves being a part of it and seeing her grow.

He reminds me of my own father in a way, that kind of quiet love that works without any need of recognition.

And I can see how much he loves her every time we are together.

The careful, behind-the-scenes planning that is put into making sure that she is safe and has a healthy meal and a memorable experience when she is with us.

The private comments about how much he misses her when she is not around.

The struggle he deals with trying to teach and discipline her while hoping that she knows he still loves her even though he may yell or get angry.

How the little things she does makes him smile.

How she makes him smile.

And I just know, she is the luckiest girl to have him.

Thank you for being such an inspiring father. I cannot say it enough. I am so proud of you. Emily is so lucky to have you, and we both love you so very much.

A Tale of Two Fathers, Part 1

I'm having a hard time figuring out the right words to describe my dad and how important he is to me. So what I'm writing here is probably already an injustice to him, but I'll try my best regardless.

My father is selfless. He is the kind of father who does things for his daughters without any agenda. He requires, no, he prefers no recognition. He is the kind of father who forgets birthdays and holidays, because he believes that people should be celebrated everyday. He has a hard time expressing himself and often is not the first to say, "I love you," but he is always supportive and there if you need him.

My father is also one of my greatest teachers. Throughout my life, he has taught me to love people while being cautious of those who may hurt me. He has taught me to work hard, be brave, and to live life with a good sense of humor. Finally, he has taught me to live simply and to find value in what is most important in life.

Although I didn't realize it when I was younger, my dad loves me wholeheartedly and selflessly. His only desire in life was to make sure that I was safe, strong, and happy. I focused too much on what he didn't do and not what he did for me silently. Because of him, I am proud of the person I have become, and I can say without any doubt that I am truly happy. Thank you for everything you have and continue to do for me. 

I love you, Daddy.

The Great Outdoors

For the past year, I've been trying to be a lot more outdoorsy and adventurous (all part of that quarter life crisis). All I can say is that it's been absolutely amazing and worthwhile! I was never much of an outdoorsy person. I love my air conditioning, clean bathrooms, and toilet paper that doesn't feel like sandpaper. I also hate mosquitos (and all bugs for that matter) with a fiery passion that borders on being irrational. On the other hand, Kyle loves being outside, hiking, fishing, and all that good Jeremiah Johnson sort of stuff. What can I say, he's a man's kind of man. But what a great and rewarding ride it has been, going outside my comfort zone and experiencing all the things he loves with him. And I must say, I really love it too! 

(I work in a doctor's office where I'm always around the elderly. One of the best things to ever happen to me was to land a job there. Not only do I love my job, but the patients constantly keep me accountable and remind me to really live and enjoy my life while I'm still young. So before I turned twenty-five, I made a bucket list that I was determined to finish. There were so many things to try and adventures to take before I settled down. One of those things was ziplining.)

This past weekend, we planned a camping trip around Lake Travis near Austin, TX. Before setting up our camp site, we went ziplining, and wow, it was extraordinary! There were five different ziplines: two small ones for training, one really long one, a scenic one, and a tandem one. Now let me start off by saying, I am deathly terrified of heights. My stomach curled and turned the entire hike to the first zipline and intensified as I stepped on to the platform. But as soon as I jumped off, my fears vanished and I rode that zipline like a natural. I am kidding of course. It took three ziplines before I was brave enough to take my hands off the handles. 

The rest of our day was spent setting up our tent, cooking some grub, making fires (like they used to do in caveman days)...

... and enjoying this beautiful view.

We set two chairs on top of a cliff near our tent (ziplining had made me brave when it came to heights). We just sat there and watched the sun set. It's so easy to forget how beautiful nature is sometimes. Life is busy and goes by too fast. But when you sit there and bask yourself in nature and all it's purity and loveliness, there is a serenity and wholeness that fills you. And I thank God for this. For such a simple yet complex sight that can produce such strong emotions. I am reminded that this is one of his gifts to us, a work of art that is ours and is always there for us whenever we want or need to see it.