Out of Love for My Father

With Father’s Day being this past Sunday, I’m still in celebration mode for you dads! I love that we have this day every year to focus on telling you how grateful we are for you. 

This leads me to share a funny story from this past week since it celebrates my dad in a unique way. 

I was going through some old files and came across a flimsy piece of notebook paper that’s now worn, tattered and faded. And on it I immediately recognized my handwriting from back when I was about 12 or 13 years old. But this, in and of itself, isn’t the reason I’m sharing this story with you. 

This piece of paper is significant because it’s actually a poem I wrote as a young girl about my dad. And I have literally remembered the first stanza all these years! I can’t believe this sacred piece of memorabilia somehow miraculously emerged from the archives.

I can still picture where I was standing when I wrote these words.

I was positioned next to the ironing board in our basement as the steam from the iron was shooting up onto my face, adding to my irritation at the job I was tasked to do. I was sweating bullets on that hot summer day and was not happy about any of it. It was then that this hilarious expose emerged from within me. 

Somehow it helped to decrease my misery by putting my feelings and thoughts to paper!

That said, I share this with you today as a reminder, dads, that we as your daughters may not always enjoy following your directives or investing in the tasks required to keep our households running, but in the end we do what we do out of love for you. So I’m sharing my poem with you to encourage you in your fathering role and to remind you how much you’re loved, even when we don’t always respond in the best of ways and push back or complain.

The title of my poem is: Out of Love for My Father.

It’s dumb to iron hankies,
especially on hot days.
Then you stick it in your pocket
and it’s wrinkled anyways!
…even though it is a bother, I do it out of love for my father!

I don’t like to fold your t-shirts
‘cause I always do it wrong.
I fold them every which way
and I stretch them tall and long!
…even though it is a bother, I do it out of love for my father!

I hate to practice my piano
on each school day,
but I know that it’s my duty
to keep quiet and obey!
…even though it is a bother, I do it out of love for my father!

Sometimes I feel it’s unfair
the age you say that I’m to date,
but in your mind it’s very clear,
in mine, it’s a debate!
…even though it is a bother, I do it out of love for my father!

I get tired when running errands
to the store or to the mart,
but I need this to develop
what we call a “servant’s heart.”
…even though it is a bother, I do it out of love for my father!

So there it is: the simple thoughts of an adolescent daughter who had a bad attitude on a random summer day, yet in the end, she loved her dad. 

Thanks for walking with me down memory lane today! I trust my poem brought a smile to your face.