That Daddy Love

There is a place up home where the Northern Pine grows tall. There are days when I dream of walking down that old dirt road after a summer rain had cooled the air. Oh how sweet a fragrance the rain and Northern Pine make together. And I get homesick........

The Southern Pine is what I see now, pretty.......but not the same. And I remember the summer evening drives, Daddy behind the wheel. Him pointing at a Mama deer and her fawn. My sister and I with our faces to the wind taking in the sweet smells after the rain. Funny, but I remember his hands on the wheel as he was driving. Calloused and ruff from years of hard work, and yet soft enough to hold.

This man I cherish. Memories abound and when they come to mind I get homesick......His hands still grace a steering wheel. That's how he makes a living. Those hands lead him to me every once in a while. Not often enough, but just enough to keep the home sickness at bay.

This man that used to tie my shoes, dry my tears, and pick me up when ever I fell, is a man that I admire, adore and am so very thankful for. Sacrificing his days to give me a good home. Never once did I hear him complain.......And now that I am all grown and have a family of my own. I know how he feels, that deep burning inside, like a fire that never goes out. That feeling of sacrifice, to give what you have so they can have. It's a love like I've never known and I didn't understand until I..........until I was tying shoes and drying tears. My words seem so small as I tap them out. How can I thank him enough? How could I ever begin to let him know how much he means to me. But most of all, to let him know that I understand, I know how he feels about me. That parent love, is a love like no other. That Daddy love I'll cherish forever! Thank you Daddy, thank you for loving me with that unselfish love. You are Amazing and I love you!

46. Daddy Love
47. Rain and Northern Pine
48. Long drives down old dirt roads
49. Face in the wind
50. Daddy's calloused hands