A day at work with my Dad

I watch him work with steady eyes
The sun creeps down, but still he tries
to seal that pipe and stop the leak
so he won't have to return this week.

Another round of blue glue on...
that did the trick, the leak is gone!
He proudly packs his tools away,
blows the drive and we're done for the day.

My hands are dirty, my hair is a mess
My back is hurting and I need a rest
but no matter what time I spend with my dad,
it's always one of the best times I've had.

With the windows rolled down and the radio on
we crank up the music and both sing along.
He smiles at me, saying "I'm proud of my girl."
...no, I wouldn't trade this for the world.

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood"...

I love remembering new memories...ones you think have faded away forever and then one day, they just pop right back as clear as a bell. I never realized it, but I liked to have my dad show off for my friends...well...one friend in particular. It seemed Lizzy was always on the same wavelength as me when it came to my dad. He would do the funniest things from a silly little dance while he vacuumed to saying movie quotes in his best impression of the actor. He even liked to sing a little song...not sure how it even came to be our little song, but somewhere down the road he mimicked Mr. Rogers with "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood". My dad always had a way of putting his spin on things though, adding chords and notes (and words) that weren't there originally. It became this thing, that when Lizzy would come by, we would ask to hear the song...sometimes beg and he would grudgingly (though always with a smile) oblige. He liked to make people laugh from the time he was little and carried a joke book around in his back pocket. So I knew as we listened carefully to his song, that at the end he would be expecting a roar of laughter, which we never would disappoint to give him.

It was this song that grew into a part of our relationship...so silly, yet so closely intertwined between us that it held a dear part in my heart. On my wedding day as my dad walked me down the aisle, he very softly began to sing this song; partly to maintain a casual atmosphere when giving away his only daughter, though it did just the opposite. He got through only the first line, before his chin trembled and his eyes welled up, as did mine. We walked in silence for a bit after that until I broke the ice by commenting if he made my makeup run, I would look like Alice Cooper and Dustin would run away screaming. He chuckled at that and gave my hand a squeeze.

That's a good memory...one I will always hold close to my heart along with my dad.