Happy February! A new month, in the new year...it's kind of crazy that we are already here although I feel like January was seriously the longest month ever.
Today, I wanted to dedicate a post to my sweet daddy. Today would have been his 77th birthday and there's not a day that goes by where I don't think of him or miss him. If you're new here, I lost my dad almost 22 years ago--the end of this month as a matter of fact. February has always been a little bittersweet to me but instead of being sad (which I'll do anyway), I wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday with some of my most favorite memories of him.
These are two of my most favorite pictures of my daddy! I absolutely adore everything in these pictures and all that it represents. You see, my dad was outnumbered. He was the only man in the house thus his love for his girls was monumental. He was simply THE BEST! And yes, I get that most every girl thinks that way about their father too but you could never convince me otherwise. These pictures show my daddy's personality like none other. My sister and I were the lights of his life. He told everyone about us. Anyone he met he talked to about Jesus and his family. I can almost hear my giggle as he's tickling me but what I wouldn't give to have those strong arms wrapped around me today. My dad was a big guy--tall and stocky. Dark hair, dark eyes, a beard for most of his life. He's probably someone that you may be scared of if you didn't know him. But once you met him, you knew that he was the biggest teddy bear there was.
I have so many wonderful memories of my father. Birthdays were always fun because my mom made a homemade cake every time we celebrated. This was also one of the very few times that we went out to eat at a restaurant. My momma was a great cook but this was one of her nights off. And every gift he ever received, no matter how horrible, or how smelly the cologne was that I bought from the local drug store he said it was the best.
If I made him a sandwich, or brought him a drink or chips or anything he would always tell me if was the best sandwich, drink, chips, etc that he had ever eaten.
He would always tell us how beautiful we, his girls--including my momma, were. There was no shortage of love and hugs.
I remember sitting on his shoulders at the beach when I was scared of the water and playing in the sand building sand castles. Vacations at the beach will always be some of my most fondest times and probably why I feel like I have salt water in my vein and where I feel most connected to Mother Nature.
If you asked him to open a jar or a package, he would act like he couldn't do it and hand it back to you and ask you to try it again. Of course, it was open when he handed it back but he wanted you to believe you were strong.
He adored...and I mean adored my momma. And he showed her everyday. No, their marriage wasn't perfect but it was pretty close to it in my eyes.
Christmas was always fun but oh so annoying in our house. You see, my dad would make us take turns opening gifts and when it was his turn, he would pull out his pocket knife and cut each piece of tape off the wrapping paper prolonging the event which of course was agonizing for a kid.
I don't remember going to too many movies as a child but the two I do were 'Home Alone' and 'Songs of the South'. I don't remember a lot about the movie itself but what I do remember is hearing him horse laugh and cackle throughout the whole thing and feeling so mortified. What I wouldn't give to hear him now!
My daddy loved Jesus and God help the Jehovah's Witness that would show up at our door because they were the ones wanting to leave, not my daddy asking them to. We were very involved in church growing up and I wasn't the quietest or most well behaved kid to sit through a sermon. Well during one service, my friend Ashley Barber and I were sitting with my dad (second row on the left hand side where he always sat) and we were goofing off and he separated us on either side of him. Well, we thought we would be funny to pass notes and other objects behind the very small gap that was between his backside and the pew. Well...obviously he knew we were doing this and during mid pass, he scooted back trapping both of our arms behind him. And made us sit like that for the rest of the service. Another church memory is that my dad didn't have the greatest singing voice but just like the Psalm says "make a joyful noise" and that's just what he did. I can still hear him singing Amazing Grace and I tear up every single time.
So...you may be asking what does the title mean? Well, surcee is a word that I heard growing up all my life. My daddy used this word a lot. And whenever I was really good...which didn't happen all too often, he would tell me he was getting me a surcee, which in my case was a Slurpee at the 7-11. The most coveted of gifts for any little girl, right? My sister and I still joke about that and use that word often.
surcee
noun
- a small surprise, very unexpected. May be spelled "surcy".
So, to my sweet daddy on his 77th birthday---I love you forever. You were my first love. You captured my heart and to this day it is still yours. I miss you so much sometimes that my heart physically aches but I know that you are needed in heaven to take care of momma. My sister posted these photos below earlier today and I had never seen them. He was such a gentle giant and the most amazing man I have ever known..
Y'all, I can't say this enough but hug and love on your people as much as you can. You never know when your last moment will be your last.
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