I Am So Thankful for Another Father's Day With My Dad

Dad & I-July 2007-Anchorage, Alaska

I am grateful that my dad is around for another Father's Day. If you would have asked me last October whether or not I thought he would live to see the spring, I probably would have said no. He has overcome so many obstacles through the help of his Heavenly Father and the prayers and support of hundreds of family members & friends.

The hardest part of seeing my dad in the hospital with cancer was the fact that his physical body was not the physical body he had for so many years. In all of the years he has been my dad I can think of only one time that he went to the doctor---that was when he severely cut his leg with a chain saw. I never saw the man go to the doctor for any other reason. Whenever he got sick he would fix his problems with "monkey's blood" (merthiolate) or a leather man. I have actually seen him pull out a sore tooth with his leather man. Whenever we got hurt with the typical cuts & scrapes of childhood, he would say, "Sheri Lee, I've had worse burns (from welding) on my eyeball." And he probably had! My dad is a tougher than nails kind of guy.

Although he is physically tough, he does have a soft side. As a kid, not a night went by without my dad giving me a hug and kiss and telling me he loved me before I was off to bed. To this day, whenever I visit him, I still get the same hug, kiss, and loving words. I hope he knows how much this has meant to me over the years.

Dad, I love you more than these words can express. I can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to help you rebuild the deck on the house. I can't wait to get those hugs & kisses & token "I love you" each night before I go to sleep. I can't wait to hear you tell one of the grandkids to toughen up, because you've had worse burns on your eyeball! I can't wait to have you around for many, many more Father's Days. I thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the gift of you this day.