Dear Poppa

(WHY DO WE NOT HAVE ANY PICTURES TOGETHER?!)

Dear Poppa,

As I sat in church this morning listening to stories of people who have struggled to see what God looks like and struggled to trust God because of their earthly fathers, I was overwhelmingly grateful that I have know idea what their lives feel like. It is not lost on me what a blessing that is...

I love that you love Mom so much. I love that you still hold her hand and give her kisses as soon as you walk in the door...I hope that the man I marry will love me as well as you love Mom.

I love that even at 26 I can still curl up on the couch next to you and watch TV...

I love that you have a heart for others...watching you plan for, and go to South Africa is always such a joy. I hope you get to go back one day. I also love that you were willing to trek untold miles in a big yellow truck behind a bunch of cyclists...that right there is true love.

I give you a hard time about it, but I really do love that when you're at work and with people and I tell you "Love you" at the end of our phone calls, you say "okay" back to me...whether you meant for it to be or not, its become a little code for "I love you too" and I like that.

I love that you're always willing to help me fix something in my apartment. I want so badly to be a "real adult" but secretly love the fact that you're just a few minutes away and willing to help me figure out what being a "real adult" really means. Thanks for not leaving me on my own to figure it all out.

I love that some of my favorite memories of you are when I was little painting my fingernails on the Atlas book and then shaking my hands while I giggled. I thought it was so cool my dad would paint my fingernails. ha! :)

I love the way you sneeze. I always know right where to find you. :) haha!! (that's a weird one, but it is true!)

I love that when mom used to go out of town she would leave things for us to cook...and then we'd go out to eat. I loved those nights with you at Steak 'n' Shake or wherever we ended up...

I love that you served our country and served it so proudly. I am even more grateful that I am the daughter of a Veteran. It always makes me tear up when I see you stand during a salute to our America's veterans.

I love that you love your family. You love your mom and your siblings...you love your wife, your daughters, your son-in-law and your grandchildren. You have built us an incredible legacy and I am so thankful for that. Thank you for showing me what a true man of God looks like...

I love that one of the things I will always remember is you sitting on the couch on Saturday afternoons with your bible and study material out preparing for a Sunday School lesson. You have loved and served your class so faithfully. They are lucky to have you.

We have said ever since I was little that I am so much like you...I know that has caused some uproars here and there (maybe more often that we'd like to admit)...but at the end of the day, if I can be as dedicated, hardworking, loving, caring, giving, and outgoing as you are, then I'd say I am grateful to be so much like you.
I have been blessed to see God's loved lived out through you...I have grown up with a healthy image of who God is because of the dedication you have in your relationship with Him. Words cannot adequately express how thankful I am that God saw it fit to make me your daughter.

I love you, Poppa! Happy Father's Day!

KK