#5 : I Miss My Dad

I miss my dad. When I turned 30, the volume on this statement got turned way up. I realized that there about 1 million things that he is going to be missing out on in my life and that make me miss him even more. 

I want his opinion. Isn't that funny? We spend our whole teenage and young adult life fighting against our parents opinion and now I would kill just to hear what he thinks about me. Am I how he thought I would be? or how he hoped?

I want him to come to my wedding. (if there ever is one that is) I'm totally blessed to have a great step-dad that has stepped into my father role in my life and I know he'll have a big role in this, but there is something special about a dad and his daughter on a wedding day. I'll miss that.

I want him to intimidate my boyfriends. That's right girls. If you have an overprotective pops, count yourself lucky. I would kill for my dad, a front porch and a shotgun.

There are probably 1,456 more things I could think of that I'll miss, but all of those things feel OK when I remember that what happens to us shapes who we are. Now don't get me wrong, I would trade everything in this world to have my dad back, but I understand that losing a parent at 7 years old has helped shape me into the person I have become. 

When it boils down to it, experiences are all we have and all that we are. Unfortunately, sometimes tragedy shapes us more that victory and happiness. I hold myself lucky today that I have an amazing mom, a wonderful step-dad and I had 7 great years with my dad.