I recently traveled home to the house I grew up in to spend time with my dad. Dad has worked for Continental Airlines for over 20 years and his job requires him to travel often, so aligning our schedules to hang out and virtually do nothing was quite a feat. It was a Tuesday night.

        Dad and Liz in Bath, England.

I drove back home to Oakridge North and each time I pull onto our street, it shocks me to see how much things have changed. Despite the changes, I appreciate the fact my dad recognizes the importance of having a home my brothers and I can come home to, a place that is familiar to us. A place we still feel invincible. It doesn’t take much for me to revert back to 12 year old Liz, racing my bike up and down the street, making tracks around the backyard with my go-cart, or directing troops of kids in my latest epic film.
I pull in the driveway and dad comes out, we’re headed to HEB. My dad has the most sharp sense of humor, a realistic wit like none other. Often times, he speaks and it takes a few moments for the direct and striking yet subtly approached comment to hit you. Pow! And you can’t stop laughing for 20 minutes.
Dad also has a serious sweet tooth. Anytime mom would leave town for a weekend, he’d pack up us kids and head to the grocery store but as we’d check out, the lady behind the counter would catch on right away. Chips A’hoy, beep. Rocky Road ice cream, beep. Root beer, beep. “Your mom is out of town, eh?” Needless to say, 20 years later grocery shopping with dad still looks much the same.
My dad is and always was the greatest advocate for creative free thinking and would stop at nothing to provide opportunity or an avenue for us to express ideals, experience adventures and to never allow fear to hinder us. We were home-schooled and because dad worked for the airlines, we were able to travel with him all over the world at the drop of a hat. Growing up, we quite literally were given wings to fly. Disapointing dad was always the worst punishment possible. Understanding that we had let him down, knowing how much he believed in and trusted us was far worse than being spanked or even grounded. Dad is the most selfless person I know and has the most giving spirit. My dad is also an incredible writer. He’s kept journals of his travels, his life, his children and I recognize these journals to be worth more than any monetary wealth. One day maybe we can have them pubished for you to read. I promise, you won’t want to put it down. Oh, and in the back of the book, I’ll display the hundreds of postcards he so faithfully has written me from every place he travels. I’m proud of my dad, he has worked so hard to be where he is now.
We’ve perused the aisles of HEB, talking and laughing along the way, then head for the check out counter as we’ve finally located the necessary items to complete our dinner recipe with of course, a few added items Dad runs his card and is asked by a machine “Is this amount ok?” The young girl behind the counter is smacking her gum and dad politely asks her “So this is negotiable?”
At home, we eat while we cook so we’re usually not incredibly hungry by the time the food is done. We made some great salad, ate lots of potato chips and by the time the bacon cheeseburger meatloaf muffins (Thanks Jon and Karen Hull!) were finished, we were on to a new adventure. Dad rents movies from the library and “listens” to them while working in his garage or in his stained glass studio (remind me to show you some of the brilliant windows and lamps he’s designed and built) and this usually entails moving around a VCR or DVD player, and maybe TV. We hadn’t seen Back To The Future in quite some time and while setting up the VCR, dad remembers that at Best Buy you can purchase a DVD/VCR in one. Woo-hoo! Before I knew it, we were in the car headed to Best Buy. Best Buy at 9 p.m. is slim pickin’s in terms of help or service so dad and I made ourselves at home in the home theatre department. We sit down in a makeshift home theatre, the most comfy chairs ever, surround sound and an incredible view. No one bothered us as we sat together and watched the latest Disney animated film. Me and my dad. In Best Buy.

We’re headed home, empty handed, but laughing all the way. There’s been a bit of construction on the stretch between Woodlands Parkway and Rayford Sawdust in the last years. I thought I was going to die from laughing so hard as we pass a poorly, randomly placed freeway entrance ramp and dad resolves it was “designed as a starter project by the highway commisioner’s nephew who’d just graduated from college .”
We fell asleep watching the movie and woke up the next morning for coffee at Starbucks. Even though I’m not wearing make-up and am dressed in shorts and an old t-shirt, dad brags as we leave about how cool it is to “walk in next to the prettiest girl in Starbucks.” Oddly enough, I think he really believed he did.
I love this phase of my life in my relationship with my dad. To stand up high on his shoulders and to look out over his presence in all of my life, I’m floored and beyond grateful. To know that I can soar because my dad believes in me, I can only hope that one day I will pass this fundamental empowerment on to my children. To know my dad prays for me and is my biggest fan, words can’t describe. My dad comes to every concert and event possible to show his support. In fact, you’ve probably met him!
I am truly blessed to have this father on Earth who so closely personifies our Father in Heaven. His love, his selflessness, his forgiving nature, his desire to see great things happen in and through his daughter… I pray that you too will know and receive the love of our Heavenly Father. Thanks for letting me talk about my dad.

Liz

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 10th, 2007 at 9:16 am and is filed under Liz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.