THE LOVE OF A FATHER

Every little girl should experience the love, unbreakable bond and support of her dad. Every woman is shaped by the love of her father. 

To the man who walked me down the aisle, he took me to my doctor’s appointments. Bathe me and took me to  preschool and picked me up. My dad was the first hero. He was the man to exemplify provision, protection, and love. The first memory I had of my dad is as early as two years old. I can remember sitting on his lap and pulling his beard.

MY DAD PROVIDED FOR HIS FAMILY

When I was younger, my dad worked at a local grocery store. My mom would do her weekly grocery shopping at the market while my dad was at work. As soon as we entered the grocery store, my sister and I would run back to the meat counter to see my dad. He was just as happy to see us as we were to see him. I always wanted my dad to go home with us, but he had to finish his shift.

MY DAD SACRIFICED FOR HIS FAMILY

My dad adjusted his schedule to take my three siblings and me to school every morning before going to work. He was responsible for bathing and feeding us breakfast. On his off days, he would pick us up from school. During the summer months, my dad would take us fishing with him on his off days. I enjoyed the fishing trips; although I had no interest in fishing, I would chase my sister around the park and throw worms on her (laugh out loud, I had so much fun).

MY DAD TAUGHT ME TO PERSEVERE 

My dad taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels. This was a difficult task for me. My dad refuse to allow me to give up; he was persistent.  I may have taken longer than my siblings learning to ride a bike, but my dad did not let me give up as well. This experience taught me to persevere and never give up.

MY DAD MADE ME TAKE RISK 

One task I never accomplished is jumping out of the swing. I often landed on my head instead of my feet. I had more knots on my head than I could count (lol, I’m laughing, but I’m very serious), but I was determined to learn to jump out of the swing. My siblings mastered jumping out of a swing, but this is one thing I never accomplished. Through it all, my dad was my biggest cheerleader.

MY DAD ALWAYS SHOWS LOVE BY BEING SUPPORTIVE

When I was in grade school, my dad would go to Parent's Teacher's Conference to get our report cards while my mom stayed at home and cooked dinner. I remember when I was in 5th grade, the teacher hit me in the head with the end of an electrical cord. I was embarrassed, and my feelings were hurt. I went home and told my parents. My dad was at my school the next morning. He called his employer to let his supervisor know he would be late for work because he wanted to talk to my teacher. My father has always been there for me.

LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

If anyone knows me, they know I love to laugh. When my father took me to take the driver's test, he refused to let me drive to the driving license bureau because I made him so nervous while I was laughing and driving.

A SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN DAD AND DAUGHTER

My Dad and I meet up at the grocery store every Friday. We have set aside father and daughter’s day for bonding time. Before COVID-19, we would meet for lunch before going to the grocery store. Although I have brothers, my dad always calls me to go car shopping with him. When my dad says he is going to do something he does it, I never have to question him or follow-up to see if or when he is going to do it. Today, I can call my dad, and he will listen to my concerns and attend to my needs.

In honor of my father,
James G. Pennington