I have the coolest dad ever.
No really.
He deserves every mug in the world that says, "World's Best Dad."
Looking back on my childhood, I can honestly say that I lucked out because I had one of the best childhoods ever. One of the things I am forever grateful for are the weekend trips to our grandpa's house. Every Saturday, my dad would take my sister and me to visit my grandpa and aunt. I remember back then I would always be annoyed because the drive there was always so long. In all actuality, the ride was at least 45 to 50 minutes long, but as a child that feels like an eternity. But when we would get there, it would be so worth it. Spending time with my grandpa and aunt was so much fun, and it created such a strong bond for me with my family. It really made me appreciate the importance of being with family. It is the reason why now that I am in college in a completely different state, I constantly make an effort to come back home for a visit so I can have some family time.
My mom would work during the weekends, so it usually was my dad who had to find a way to entertain two crazy little girls during the day. One of my favorite memories by far is when I was in elementary school. Almost every Friday after school, my dad would take us the place where dreams come true.
Yup. Disneyland.
Every kids' paradise, and still is to this day. It was the thing I looked forward to at the end of each week because I knew that my dad would take us there. It was always our mission to go on as many rides as we could. We would always eat dinner at the New Orleans Square Cafe so that we could have a clam chowder bread bowl.
These Disneyland trips are also what taught me how to properly navigate through a crowd full of people. I remember how my dad would grab me and my sister's hands and practically flew us through the crowds of people, speed walking to every visible gap or opening that we could walk through. It was crazy. It is also the reason why I am a fast walker. My dad always walked around that place like he was on a mission, never walking with leisure. Nowadays whenever people tell me to slow down, I immediately tell them to blame my dad.
Also, before we left Disneyland, he always took us to the World of Disney store and would buy us something to take home with us. It was pretty awesome.
My dad also would now and then take us to an Angels baseball game. He usually only ever had one extra ticket, so my sister and I would have to take turns going with him, but I found a way to go way more often than my sister. I am the baby of the family after all. I have my ways. Honestly, I thought baseball was boring. It was so long and it felt like nothing ever happened. All I wanted was for them to hit the ball towards me so that I could take a free, nifty souvenir home. The reason why I wanted to go to these games so badly was because I knew how much my dad loved baseball, so I wanted to be cool and hang out with him by doing something with him that he loved. Also, after every game we went to, it was tradition to go get Slurpees. That may or may not be another big reason why I wanted to go to the games.
Another place my dad would always take us to was the movie theater. I swear to you, I feel like I saw every age appropriate movie that came out when I was younger because of how often we went. One of my favorite memories was when my sister was going to a friend's birthday party and they were all going to see Finding Nemo. I was so upset because I really wanted to see it too. So, naturally, my dad took me to go see it too, in the exact same theater as my sister's party, sitting a few rows back. I absolutely love going to the movies. My dad would always buy a large bucket of popcorn with a large soda for all of us to share. We were all-star movie goers. I'm starting to think that maybe this could be the reason why I am trying to make my way into the film industry. Wow, thanks for the inspiration dad!
As we got older, the dreaded subject of boys came into play. My sister and I started dating and wow was that just a splendid time. Many times we would find ourselves crying over a stupid boy. And so, whenever either I or my sister were found heart broken by a boy, my dad would take us to Seven-Eleven to buy us Slurpees to cheer us up. It has become a tradition since. My dad has never failed in comforting and cheering me up through that simple yet loving act.
Over the years, it has always been the little things that I love most. Whether it is horrible dad jokes that I laugh insanely at, sitting on the floor of the computer room watching him play video games or listening to his bizarre work stories, I enjoy it all. All of his quirks and sense of adventure are what have made me into the person that I am today. I find myself acting more and more like my dad every day, and I wouldn't have it any other way, to be honest.
There has not been one moment where I haven't looked at my dad without the most utter admiration. He works so unbelievably hard, no matter how tired he is or how badly he wants to give up or quit. He always puts others first before himself. I am starting to tear up as I write this because honestly, that is the one thing I am most sure of. I will go to my grave promising that my dad is the most selfless man I have ever met and will ever meet. And what genuinely breaks my heart is the fact that there are so many people who take him for granted and don't recognize all of the hard work that he does.
Recently, I flew back home for a visit, and my mom, dad, and I watched the movie Harvey together. I had watched it in one of my theater classes, and my dad had told me it was one of his favorites, so I wanted to watch it again with him. As we were watching it, I started thinking. I came to the conclusion that my dad is the Harvey to my Elwood. In the film, Harvey is invisible to everyone except Elwood, until the end of the movie when the doctor finally sees Harvey as well. While in the film it is not exactly made clear why the doctor can see Harvey, I believe it is because Harvey could be of help to the doctor, after Elwood told the doctor what Harvey was capable of. My dad's efforts and hard work go unnoticed until someone is actually explained all of the things my dad has done. It is when people understand his capabilities that they want him around to take advantage of that, just like how the doctor wanted Harvey around to benefit him. But to me, just like Harvey is to Elwood, my dad is my best friend. I see him for all that he has done and is capable of, but I don't want him around for the sake of him helping me out. I want him around because I love him. My dad is my best friend, my superhero and my six-foot, three-and-a-half-inch tall invisible rabbit.
Thank you, dad, for helping me grow up to be the person I am today.
You really are the coolest.
