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Did you ever notice, as a teen, we were eager to get away from our parents so that we could go out and spend more time having fun with our friends? As young adults, we find that we couldn’t wait to move away so that we could venture out into the world on our own. Eventually, we began to take on more responsibilities – college, careers, buying homes, and starting our own family. We drifted away from mom and dad, only to realize that when we became parents ourselves that we wanted to go back and spend time with them once again. It is at this point we realize how important every moment we get to spend with our parents truly is. These moments we share with them, we begin to cherish more as they often become fewer and farther between.
“Love your Parents. We are so busy growing up, we often forget that they are also growing old.” ~unknown
I am no different than anyone else; I followed that same path and have come to that same conclusion. I often get busy living life day to day, being a mom, working, and taking care of my own responsibilities that I look forward to those few times just dad and I get to spend together.
As a cardiac patient, doctor and hospital visits are inevitable. As annoying as they may be, often times sitting and waiting to see doctors or waiting to have tests performed, it is just one of those things that I understand will always be a part of my life. Because of my condition, I visit a specific heart clinic, located in a larger hospital about an hours drive from my home. These visits are probably the most important visits I have and often the most stressful and exhausting. As you can imagine, these days can be long and tiresome. I typically drive myself, but to these specific visits, my father drives instead. It is a route he frequented on so many occasions, taking my mom to the same hospital and ironically to the same doctors as well. Already a bundle of nerves before going, and being tired afterwards, to drive on a busy highway would certainly be a recipe for a disaster, therefore, it is dad who becomes my taxi.
Many may find these types of days as a disruption to their daily life, but ironically, even when I get not-so-good news from the doctors during these visits, these days are still my favorite – because these are the days my father and I have our daddy-daughter dates. Just dad and I enjoying our time together – First, the trip to the hospital to see the doctors, followed by lunch and then a trip to Barnes and Nobel. No doubt, there is plenty of time to talk during the long drives, while waiting in the waiting room, or while we eat lunch. Since neither of us really spend a lot of time talking over the phone, these are definitely the perfect times for us to have our own heart-to-heart talks with each other. We talk about so many things, but what i like most is that it is the one time he and I will talk about mom and in our own ways, I think it helps us to both deal with the situation I face with my own heart problems as well as dealing with the loss of her. I think it also helps dad to still be able to take care of his “little girl” as he watches me face many of the same things that my mom did. Although scary for him I’m sure, I think he feels better being with me during these important visits rather than hearing about them afterwards.
So to my dad on this Fathers Day I’d like to say Thank You for those special moments we have during our daddy-daughter dates and for always looking out for me – your little Squirt!! I’m sure it can’t be easy to watch your little girl go through the same things mom did, but I am sure glad that I have a dad like you to be by my side as I face what has become my fate.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad!!! I Love You!!
Heart, Hopes, and Dreams 