22.6.09

Like a postcard of a Golden Retriever

I'm an evil, evil person. Despite having a husband who is an incredible, amazing father to our three children, I totally and completely bombed on Father's Day. To make things even worse he was sweet and mature about it and when I apologized that we hadn't done anything very special, other than give him a gift and hastily made cards from the boys, he only said, "that's okay- I wasn't expecting much!" This because we're away from home (at my Mom's for the week) and I have a stress fracture in my foot, which makes me extremely grumpy and self-absorbed. Not that that is any excuse! I realized this while reading the posts on several friends' blogs today about all the wonderful, thoughtful things they had done for their fathers and husbands. I'm horrible!! So, to make it up, we will have a father's day redo this Sunday when we get home, and it will include pie, I promise.

I was also going to make a list of Eric's finest moments as a father, to include the time when little Eric was a newborn and he rushed home between classes just to hold him for a few minutes, or the time he dove the entire lenth of the pool to rescue Eric from drowning, or just today, when I watched from the ocean as he bounced Marley to sleep in his arms and then made her a tent out of towels for her nap. But as I started to write I realized that his finest moments as a father are probably ones I will never know about: quiet conversations with the boys as they fall asleep in their sleeping bags on father-son campouts; nights singing Marley back to sleep in her crib; fellowships and awards forgone so that he could come home and eat dinner with our family instead. I know that he makes sacrifices for me and our children every day and I am so grateful for that. When Marley grows up I want her to marry a man JUST LIKE HER DADDY. I guess that's the best compliment I could give him, and I really do mean it. I love you sweetheart!!

6 comments:

Cindy said...

Wait--last time I saw you your foot was fine. What happened??

Beautiful words about Eric, btw. :)

Kate Alexis said...

You made me cry tears of joy for your happiness.

Cailean said...

I'm sorry about your foot - those are two bad words: stress and fracture! It's funny how easily we feel guilty about stuff like that - it was either Father's Day or Nathan's birthday in a recent year where I felt similarly - that I just hadn't done enough. I do think that a lot of what the fathers equate with acknowledgment on their day has to do with what food is made for them :)

Danielle Bahr said...

Katie -

I just found your blog again. You are who you have always been - I love it :)

We just joined you down south. We're now proud GA residents. Hopefully we can make it up to Duke and I can show Jeremy the campus.

Good luck with your feet. And your father's day re-do... we're doing that this week, too ;)

d

elizabeth said...

I totally blew father's day too. We're having a re-do this Sunday. We moved last Saturday and it was probably the worst father's day to date. Thanks for sharing to make me feel better!

Laura said...

you did better than us! We started at 5:30 at night and drover to Utah and got there at 6 am in the morning--Eric had a better day I promise!