Memories of My Father

Father's Day always brings back a wave of memories of my dad--
The sound of his boots when he walked around the house. The tune he whistled as he came through the door after a long day of work. His laughter. His loud sneeze. Drinking coffee with him in the mornings before school--his black, mine with milk and sugar. Playing frisbee on the beach. The games of one-on-one basketball. His sleepy smile on Christmas mornings when my siblings and I woke up at the crack of dawn with anticipation to tear into our presents. The three songs he always sang.  How he always beat me at every game of checkers. Every game. How I never once heard him speak an unkind word about another person. The time he pulled over to help a complete stranger who had run out of diesel. The time I accidentally backed into his truck one foggy morning and he calmly said, "We'll worry about it later. You're going to be late to school." The time I forgot my coat when we drove out of town to see the high school football team play in the state championship, and he graciously let me wear his while he froze the entire game. The days we snorkeled. The day we kayaked. The days we fished.  His cell phone ringtone. The way he answered each time with a "Yel-lo." The way he sprinkled salt on his watermelon. The way I somehow fit perfectly in the pocket created by the bend of his legs when he was lying on the couch watching TV, and the way I'd sit there and read books to him. The first time he let me "drive" the truck in neutral in the middle of a pasture. Helping him pick out fireworks every July 4th and December 31st. Helping him round up cattle on my horse named Dallas.  Helping him fix fences and how it didn't seem like a chore at the time, because I was getting to spend the day with my dad.

Though my time with my father was short, the lessons he taught me over 17 years will stick with me for the rest of my days. To put it simply, he was the best man I've ever known. He showed me by his example the importance of a strong work ethic and treating everyone you meet with kindness. He was a respected business man, always willing to lend a hand to someone in need. And above all, he loved my mother and my siblings and me unconditionally. If I could permanently collect these memories, I'd string them together like colorful beads and wear them on a necklace near my heart every day. I don't ever want to forget them. I don't think I ever could.