Relationships are ever-changing.


Today I dropped my dad off at the airport and when we hugged goodbye I said, "bye daddy, I love you". I haven’t called my dad daddy in 20 years; I was stunned.. I followed up with some ramblings about getting a big buck in Montana then realized he didn't hear me because he didn't have his hearing aids in. This is the first time in a long time that I've been sad to see my dad go and I didn't tell him.
I spent three days without a thought of an excuse for a break of him and he didn't try to ditch me once. I've wished for this all of my adult life and something similar but more childlike when I was little girl; something is giving and my dad is filling the "socially accepted" role of dad. Don't get me wrong, there has never been a lack of love between us just a lot of misunderstanding. My extremely conservative dad raised, with a lot of support from the Jones family, this girl to 12 with the idea that I would grow up, get married, have kids, and live a "conservative" LDS life... I have long passed my entry into adulthood and have yet to fullfill any of those dreams.  His parenting may or may not have played a role in my growing into a liberal " independent" woman, but he seems to be accepting me, different as he had hoped.

I love you daddy and am so grateful for all that I have learned and become because you are my dad. I am a strong woman with so much love and am learning how to share.   I'm sad that I likely won’t see you for another year, I guess it’s time that I try a harder to fit into your life.

My birthday cake.



Deer camp 2012