Father's Day 2006 Recap

Keisha gave me two home-made cards yesterday, and I'd like to describe them here.

BLUE CARD
One of them was something she'd worked on during the last week of school. It's made out of blue construction paper. Folded in half, the front reads in her own cursive handwriting:

Happy Father's day
-------------------
From Keisha
To: Dad

Opening up the inside, I see some pictures drawn in pencil. I had Keisha describe what's going on. The picture is a man wearing a tie, saying "You won! Good job"

Look to the right and see Keisha and Jennie - as drawn by Keisha - on either side of a "prize stand" - that's what's written in the block, and on top of it is a #1 Dad cup that she'd made out of yellow construction paper and glued onto the card. So I've receieved a #1 Dad award.

Turning the card over to see the back, it has, in Keisha's cursive handwriting:

Congratulation
Dad

And she drew some stars and lines around the words with a blue marker.

ORANGE CARD
Keisha also gave me an orange card, which she was finishing just before we left for church yesterday morning.

I open it up on the inside, and it reads:

Happy father's doy!

Dear Dad,

I Love you! Dad.
you are wonderful. 06-16-06


mom and me was tring to get
you two pesents but I try to
get you a tie and mommy tryyed
to get you Kiss music we couldn't
find it but after Church
we are getting your pesents. that's
Exsiding isns't it?
Love,
Keisha (written in cursive)

Then some more pictures:

A bottle of "Hot Sause"
A small Keisha and a small Daddy with hearts around and a circle drawn around them
the sign for "I Love You" made by two hands with a heart in between them
words written in cursive: "Love ya"
A bottle of beer (what Keisha said) with the numbers "125" on it with a price tag hung on the cap that says "125"
And a picture Keisha drew of herself underneath where she signed her name above

CELEBRATING
Keisha and Jennie took me to Buffalo Wild Wings for Father's Day lunch. I had 6 Blazin' wings, 6 Spicy Garlic, and some nachos. A 22 oz Miller Lite and a glass of water. We hadn't done something like this in about 2 months, but Jennie said we had it in our budget to do this.

Since she'd worked Saturday night, I told her that I would be more encouraged if she got some sleep, instead of driving around to get me the "pesents" Keisha mentioned in her card. I told her that maybe they could do that next week when she had the weekend off. She thought it was thoughtful that I was more concerned with her well-being than any presents.

CALLING MY DAD
I called my Dad last night. I haven't seen him face to face in about 3 or 4 years, nor talked to him in about 5 or 6 months. It's funny that we moved a lot closer to him and even have a local number, but we're not any closer in our relationship.

I got his answering machine and left him a message to wish him Happy Father's Day. I also said I hoped everything was alright, not having heard from him in so long. I also said I hoped the phone connection was okay, since I've never gotten a phone call from him. I told him I missed him and then hung up.

Maybe it didn't come across as a very encouraging message, but I honestly feel a little hurt that I'm not close to my father. We don't even really have a relationship right now. My mom, who lives thousands of miles away, is much closer to me than my dad, who lives only about 20-30 minutes away.

I would love more than anything to clear the air - to vent all of our hurts, irritations, anger to one another - just so that we can start over brand-new. It takes two people to have a relationship, and I hope that can happen.

I need to pray about it more - there's only so much that I can do on my own.