Dear Dad,
Do you remember when you walked me down the aisle? I was so nervous that I'd trip over my train or fall off my heels, but there you were, solid as a rock. I wasn't nervous about actually getting married though because I think my hubby is a lot like you in a lot of ways, so I knew I was getting the best kind of husband out there.
Do remember when you used to play catch with me in the backyard? I used to try and throw as hard as I could so it made a satisfying noise when it hit your mitt. And whenever I did manage to throw it really hard, you'd give me a little smile.
Remember when we gave that guy heart failure at the wood show because you let me try out power tools when I was only ten?
Do you remember when I had to buy steel toe, steel shank boots and we couldn't find any small enough to fit me? We went into that shop in Toronto and the sales person said that women of my size didn't normally do that kind of work with that terrible tone of voice. Boy, you let him have it!
Remember when you got me the 'paint mobile'? That little wheeled seat is probably still famous at York University.
Do you remember when we used to look through my Brownie book to see what badge I should go for next? That is, until we ran out of badges.
Remember that year that you forgot I was behind the Christmas tree where I'd been attaching lights around the back and you shoved the tree back to see if it looked nice? I ended up with a branch up the nose.
Remember when we used to sit together and do word searches?
Remember when I went to Mr Lamb's outdoor centre in Grade 5? He showed us a case of stuffed songbirds and asked if anyone knew what one of birds was. I piped up that it was a female cedar wax wing. He was very surprised and kept pointing at birds, trying to stump me, but I named every bird in the case. That threw his lesson plan somewhat, so he a bit peevishly asked how I knew all that. 'My dad taught me. He likes birds', I said. That afternoon we went for a nature walk to look at wildflowers and plants. Mr Lamb pointed out a plant and I volunteered that it was bloodroot. His face went red and he asked if my father knew plants as well. 'Oh yes,' I said 'he photographs them.' The next time we went to the outdoor centre we went pond skimming. He asked if my father knew anything about micro-organisms. I said that I didn't think that you were really into that, but that you'd made me my own pond skimmer out of a broken hockey stick, a coat hanger and some window screen and held it aloft proudly. Mr Lamb must have wondered if you were some kind of Super-dad. And of course, you are!