The things that I used to remember so vividly are starting to fade a little bit. Details, dates, just the little things. That's the thing about getting older, you start to forget things.
Today, I want to write about some of my favorite things about my Dad.
I am not going to lie, my Dad and I have struggled a little bit as I grew up, and now I realize it's because we are a lot a like. When I was younger, I would have sworn up and down that my Dad and I were nothing alike because we butted heads so often. I had always thought that we had nothing in common. I mean, we had none of the same interests. He loved hunting and shooting guns and I pretty much hated it. But in reality, I posses many of the same strong personality traits that he does. It's that Warnick blood. It runs deep in both of us.
So I am going to list a few things that I love about my Dad.
1. I know this may sound a little strange, but I love the way he smells. When I was younger, my Dad would always give us a hug and a kiss before he would leave for work. Right before he left for work, he always put on his cologne. As he gave us a 'love' as he went out the door, his fresh cologne would rub off on us. We would end up smelling like him for the rest of the day. I loved that because I would always get a little whiff of it, and it reminded me of him.
3. His taste in music. It's because of my Dad that I have such a strong love for 80's Rock. Growing up, it's all we listened to on our many trips and vacations. AC/DC, Styx, Tom Petty, White Snake, and basically any band from the 70's that had hair with a vertical height over 3 inches. Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of my Dad:
4. His brutal honesty. My Dad didn't sugar coat anything when we were growing up. If I was being a butthead, he would tell me I was being a butthead. If I had a bad volleyball game, he wouldn't sympathize with me, he would tell me I needed to practice harder to be better. At the time, I hated it, and it's because I knew it was true. I remember he always told us that we had a "choice" when it came to being happy or unhappy, or in my case, extremely ornery. We could "choose" to be happy, or we could "choose" to be unhappy and no one could "make" us feel a certain way.
5. His love for the outdoors. If you know my Dad at all, you'll know that hunting, fishing, and camping aren't just recreational activities, but a way of life. Although I was a big baby, and decided I didn't want to have anything to do with shooting guns or hunting, I still have a love for the outdoors. I love to be outside. I love to work in the yard. {I spent many summers mowing lawns and weeding gardens in my younger years...Hated it, of course. ;) What adolescent doesn't??} I love to go camping. I love to hike. I love to fish. I may even like to shoot a gun every now and again. I have my Dad to thank for all of those things. Every time it rains and that rain-smell fills my nose, it reminds me of my Dad. Whenever he was home and it was raining {especially in the spring/summer}, my Dad would sit outside on the porch and watch/listen to the rain. I remember sitting outside with my Dad, taking in the earthy smell of the rain and listening to thunder boom.
There are several other things that I admire about my Dad, but these are my most favorite.
Dad's are kind of great, huh?
Hope you all had a fantastic Father's Day.
That was a really sweet post. I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteSome of these things remind me of my dad too. He also liked to sit out under the awning and listen to the rain. Thanks for sharing Stef! Love ya and your dad!
ReplyDelete