I’ll Be Right There

My father. He is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to protecting his family. He is the “I’ll be right over” and “come on over, I’ll make breakfast” kind of Dad. To call him a hard worker is putting it lightly and he’ll never turn his back on what he knows to be the right thing to do.

My dad. Growing up, I can still hear our bed time prayers him and I would rehearse before he headed in to night shift, and likely a double shift. The prayers always ended with “and for world peace.” Ironic that we need that now more than ever. I remember the smell of his breakfast potato’s for supper and the taste of a toasted ham sandwich with mustard for breakfast. It’s funny you know… all these little things I bet he thought no one was paying attention to. I can still smell the freshness of the bathroom when he was done getting ready for a special occasion… like good deodorant, the slightest hint of cologne, and toothpaste. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him praying at the side of his bed, on his knees, and I knew that his biggest prayer was safety for his wife and children.

I’ll never forget the day he let his anger out on our wood shed door just 1 day after we lost my brother to a car accident. The weight of his fist through the door could have moved mountains. I’ll never forget the night of Tyler’s accident when we came home from the hospital, and he told my brother, my mom, and myself that no matter what- we would always have eachother. As much as I didn’t feel like we had control over anything at that time, I somehow knew that even at his weakest moments, he’d carry us through.. and he has. He always will.

My father has proven time and time again that he is about the only man a girl like me can trust. He has fixed my broken hearts. He has fixed my bathrooms and windows. He has slept on my dining room floor on scary nights so that our safety was never in question. He makes me laugh and somehow- always knows what to say.

He is a family man, a best friend, a beloved son and brother to those who are lucky enough to call him as such. He is a husband who not only kept his vows but practices them daily. He set a foundation for me on how a woman should be treated and he set the bar high. He supports decisions that maybe don’t seem right at the time, and then he sees you through when time gets tough. He has a temper but he is as humbled as they come.

He’s the kind of Pappy that sleeps on a waiting room sofa waiting for his granddaughter to be born until 3am. He makes grand gestures to let the neighborhood know when our babies are coming home for the hospital. He is kind and delicate with his grandchildren and they will never not know his everlasting love for them.

He is resilient in his faith. He is honest in his word. He is passionate about the things that mean the most to him.

I encourage any and all of you that if you have a dad like mine, be so grateful. Be intentional with your thankfulness and never let the good moments go by without recognizing that they just might be the good ole’ days. The kind of days where you are just a little girl, driving his truck on a back road, spotting deer, and there just isn’t a moment in time that could match that.

So, to the fathers- even when you don’t think your little ones are watching, please understand that they are. They see you. They see the hard work. They see the struggles of life mixed with the blessings. They see how you pick them up when they have fallen. They see it all.

May the world grace all of the fathers out there, the biological ones, the step ones, the honorary ones. Bless the men who rise above their circumstances. Bless the protectors and givers.

Rodger Harrington. Thank you. You may never know just how much we love you right back.

With my upmost love,

Emily