This pic is part of my proof that I have always been a daddy’s girl***insert big smiley face emoji**. I will always be his baby girl. It’s Father’s Day and so just a few thoughts here about why my daddy has always been my hero.
First of all, he has this ability to make everything better no matter how big (or small) the devastation. So, I had a sea green colored ’96 Ford Contour during my undergrad years at UofM. One day I was driving North down my favorite freeway in the D, the Lodge, Brian was riding shot gun. It was spring or summer because the weather was nice. Maybe summer since I was home come to think of it. Anyway, an engine light which had been on for, I can’t remember how many days finally revealed itself of its warning and my car was no longer driving like its’ smooth self. Something was definitely wrong. I proceeded off of the freeway to the nearest exit and pulled into a corner gas station. I called my parents. I can’t give all of the details because I honestly don’t remember them all. But what I do remember is that the car was not drive-able, and we had to call a tow truck. The tow came and as he hoisted the car up and the hood of my Contour began to rise higher than the trunk, oil began to pour out of the bottom of the car. My heart completely sank at that moment. I was devastated. My car!!!!!!! My perfect car was broken! I started crying. I had bought this car with my own money. It was a perfect used car find for the price and now it was broken. As I said, I can’t remember all of the details of that day, but I do remember my dad’s ability to make me feel like it was going to be ok. “It’s alright baby girl, if we can’t fix it, we will just get another car…” He said it in a way, in a tone, that surprisingly made me feel… ok. I was still totally heartbroken over my car, but I felt better after his assurance. I know it sounds so simple but when you are young and your experience with devastation is immature, everything is a big deal. To have someone to instantly be able to make, no matter what it is, ok, is just everything. To this day, he has that ability to just make everything calm, and ok again. I have so many stories but for some reason him standing next to me, making me feel better while I watched my car get towed away has always been one of my favorites.
He is the wisest man I know. Seriously. Most of my most cherished life aphorisms come from my daddy. ‘Do right and right will follow’, his most repeated lesson, is basically our family’s motto. My dad never finished high school. Actually, he never even finished middle school. He was pulled out of school at an early age to help take care of his family. That was how life was in Alabama in the 40’s. Knowing the story of his childhood has always made his life remarkable for me to watch. I’ve always felt that he has pretty high standing on God’s favorite people list because of how blessed and inherently wise he has always been. He was formally deprived of education as a child; however, you won’t meet anybody wiser than him. And that’s just not my opinion, that’s a fact.
My dad has always been a reliable provider. He took care of our family and we felt it. Like for real, we felt it. Not just financially, but in other ways that mattered just as heavily. I remember our annual family car trips to the South growing up. Before our trips we would gather in the living room and all hold hands and my dad would say a prayer over the family, asking God for protection, traveling mercies. What is crazy is, as a kid I always felt because daddy asked God, that really meant everything was going to be fine. My dad has always been dedicated to church and his relationship with God. I can’t think of a night I didn’t see him kneel on the side of his bed to pray. Though I haven’t lived in the same house with him for several years I still, honestly, don’t think he has missed one single night of kneeling on the side of his bed to pray. At least since I have been on this earth. Maybe that is why he is God’s favorite.
His voice. My dad sings. That was another big part of us growing up, trekking with him to a small, unassuming corner church on the East side of Detroit to rehearsals for a quartet group he has now been in for over 30 years, The Emmanuels. I have always loved listening to him sing. I’ve always felt God blessed him with this as well. We’ve jokingly referred to him and his group as the Spiritual Temptations, but the thing is, it’s no joke that he has touched so many with his ability to sing with pure conviction and faith. He has made his own mark with his voice and I find so much pride and inspiration in that it will be heard forever. One day when I am seventy-nine years old, I will pull out his CD or look him up on Spotify or whatever popular form of media will be streaming at the time and listen to him and the Emmanuels sing, “I’ve Got Jesus.”
I’m a daddy’s girl and so I could write all day about him and why I am so proud to be his daughter. He is the reason I named my blog MeMe “She”, just so I could honor my maiden name, Shelton. He has made that name mean so much to me. Thank you, daddy, for being my voice of calm and wisdom and for showing me what God’s grace and mercy looks like. I love you!
To my dad and every awesome dad who wears a cape, Happy Father’s Day!
