Daddy's Hands

Father’s Day is just a few days away and I heard a song on the radio that reminded me of that fact. The song was “My Daddy’s Hands.” It’s a great country western song which got me thinking (isn’t that what country western songs are supposed to do?), about my father. What is it about him that makes me think happy thoughts?
If I had to pick a certain part of him, it would have to be his smile. He has this great smile that lights up his face and makes everyone around him feel special. In fact, if there is any one thing that I can say about my dad, he has charisma. It radiates from his smile.
It has always been said that my dad doesn’t know a stranger. Once he meets someone they are instantly his friend. I think it is his smile that makes people feel at ease, and especially welcome in his presence. As a child, I watched him interact with all kinds of people and regardless of who they were or what they did, my dad made them feel like they were something exceptional. And that’s how he made me feel, too.
Throughout my childhood, my dad and my grandpa were close to one another. Grandpa had the same looks, but his smile was slower to come and his gruffness often scared away small children and animals. Dad, on the other hand, always tried to win everyone over, much to my mother’s dismay.
At the age of 73 this month, Dad is still going strong. His horse farm keeps him busy and his charisma keeps his friends coming around. When he turned 70 we had a birthday party for him and about 75 people attended. It is his smile that says he cares.
While Dad has worked hard his whole life and his hands are certainly a reflection of that, his eyes twinkle and his back aches, but his smile is never diminished. His character exudes from his smile. Even under dire circumstances, Dad has a quick-witted comment or a joke to tell to make someone else smile or laugh. When going in for open heart surgery a few years ago, he told the doctor to just make sure when he came out that he could still ride his horse. He loves his horses almost as much as he loves his kids.
I could probably tell you lots of tales about how ornery my dad has been over the years, the practical jokes he has played on people, the crazy pranks and childish mistakes he has made, but I could never tell you all of the times that he stopped to help someone along the road, or picked up a stray animal or gave someone money who was having a hard time. And every time he did that, he left them one of his smiles.
I think that was the most important gift he could have given. Happy Father’s Day!