This past weekend we took 4 of the 6 kids to Worlds of Fun...a theme park here in the Kansas City area that offers thrills for a family with all ages of kids. We had the extraordinary opportunity Saturday night to watch our 4 1/2 year old ride his first "big kid" ride. As he drug us from ride to ride, only to be heartbroken when he was ONE INCH too short to ride with the big kids, the look on his face was well worth the $150.00 it cost in admission. He is now the expert on the octopus, which he will tell you "gets stuck" at the top. The look on his face, and that belly laugh, had all of us cracking up.
One thing that really struck me as I watched my four babies ride the Finnish fling (the barrel ride that spins so that centrifugal force literally sticks you to the wall...only to have the floor fall out from beneath you) is that I remember my dad standing at the top of the barrel, watching me...laughing. It brought tears to my eyes, realizing that I thought I was the one having all the fun all those years ago. Standing there now as the parent, I realize exactly what my dad meant every time he said he had as much fun watching me as I had riding. I felt a new and different connection with my dad Saturday night. Not one of little girl/daddy. But one of parent to parent. Not all of my dads euphemisms have become clear to me yet, but I find that sometimes daily, I "get" a new one. My dad and I had a really great relationship. I hurt him terribly when I was 12, and he forgave me for it. One thing my dad never did was say "I told you so". I owe so much to him, and even though he is gone, I feel a renewed connection to him. I love you daddy.
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1 comment:
What a sweet post. This brought tears to my eyes.
I still cannot believe your dad is gone. I will never forget his laugh, his voice and his smile.
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