The barn that built me

I was raised on a couple hundred acres of land. Took me 20 years to even be able to explore half of it. My daddy was a rancher. We raised up horses and cows and pigs, this is my happy place. My daddy is a strong jawed, dark haired, sturdy man. Being in a family surrounded by all women he holds his tongue often, but he always holds his girls closer. He built everything we own with his own two hands. The tractor, the family truck, our house and in the heart of it all our little old red barn. You know like the typical one you’d always see in a movie. Paint that needs a touch up, rough wood that you know could tell a story or two. The kind where the two main characters always fall in love, break up and then find each other again at. Like right out of a story book right in my back yard. This barn definitely has some stories and a lot of love in it. It was the first thing that daddy built for momma. The year I was born daddy built our house that was a labor of love for all of us, but this little barn was just for her. They did it together. Momma drew up some plans and daddy made her dreams a reality. The gorgeous loft where she paints and the large wooden beams where we used to swing from. Every year since they finished it, it has been surrounded by the most gorgeous yellow flowers. Yellow’s mommas favorite. Daddy helped her plant all the seeds. He came home with every kind of yellow flower he could find. Tulips and sun flowers, yellow daisies and daffodils. This place has come to be so special over the years. We’ve had parties and holidays and birthdays here. I dreamed all my big dreams here. My sister learned to walk here. I even had my wedding in that barn. The beams all covered in sunflowers and daises. Gorgeous wooden pews lined my aisle. Daddy touched up the paint that year just for me. The barn never looked so pretty and when daddy walked me down the aisle, I seen so much pride in his eyes for everything he had built. Pride for his family and the life he helped create. He was always so proud of his girls. So much happiness has happened in this place. Like anything else in life though with the happiness also comes the sadness. So today we are gathered in this little old red barn that was built from the love of two people to say goodbye to daddy. You see he’s been sick for a while but like always he held his tongue and barely complained but he held his girls even closer through it. This barn is where we still feel connected to him. Even though you can feel how badly something is missing. His last few days were spent with momma. Sitting outside on the wooden rocking chairs surrounded by all those lovely yellow flowers. He was surrounded with love and women. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. You just never know what kind of curve life is going to throw you or how you’ll have to learn to stand again and move forward. Lucky for us this place will always hold daddy in it. I hope to carry on the pride daddy always had for his life. I hope to raise babies in this barn. I hope to bring more happy days here. Everyone else is already inside but I wanted a minute alone with daddy in this old place. Walking around here all the memories hit me, I’m glad I get to carry them with me. As I walk outside, I pick myself a pretty yellow daisy and there’s a slight breeze that tickles my hair, and I smile. I miss you more. It's time to be strong now too because there’s a lot of life left to be lived in this little old red barn.