I’ve been looking for a writing desk for months. I wanted to take my time, shop around, and make sure I was getting something I wanted for a reasonable price. Foolishly, I kept hoping that one would somehow magically appear on a silver platter, and of course, be free of charge. Silly me.
Yet today I found one. It was like most others I had seen: dark brown, medium in size, sleek and simple. I didn’t want my writing station to be chaotic; the words I put down on paper and on the computer would take care of that.
My roommate helped me haul the heavy box into our apartment and we brought it into my room with minor injuries and only a few screams that came from crashing into a doorknob. We put it together in about an hour. Now, with my laptop in the center and my old Smith-Corona typewriter off to the right, I finally have the workspace I’ve been yearning for.
As I was setting it up, carefully deciding what to put in the drawers and what to put on the desktop, I felt an overwhelming wave of peace rush over me. Perhaps it was because I changed my environment; i’ve always been a fan of surprises, a little instability, and anything that keeps me on my toes. Maybe it was because I had finally found the object of my desire; it was now my little sanctuary where I knew that when I sat down, I could write whatever transmitted from my brain through to my fingertips. However, I think most of the peace was just because I realized I wanted something that I knew would make me happy and then I subsequently took the time to make a rational and rewarding choice.
For me, that choice of purchasing a desk that suits my needs and wants is what fulfilled me today; it’s what made me happy. Maybe for you that fulfillment comes from organizing your closet, sorting through old photos, finally lacing up your sneakers for a run… that triumph is different for each person. But the commonality never changes: find what it is that makes you happy and then follow through with the choice of making it a realistic part of your life.
One of the best parts about growing up is that you get to know your parents not just as mom and dad, but as individual people who are navigating through life just like you are. While I do my best to express the gratitude I have for my parents on a daily basis, today I want to make my appreciation a little more well known.
Here’s to you, Daddio…
Mimicking his actions since way back when
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be like you. You were the coolest guy around; heck, you still are in my eyes. I never once saw you back down from a challenge or, better yet, not humbly admit to a fault of your own.
As I grew older, your patience must have grown with me. I can vividly remember you putting curlers in my hair the night before a cheerleading competition, painting my nails bright pink and putting up with the unbearable sounds of my trumpet. Yikes.
You taught me not to be scared of the outdoors and truly roughing it in the woods. During nights at home, you came to my bedside when I cried over “growing pains” (which clearly didn’t make me grow) and nightmares I always had about witches. You stopped my nosebleeds and took the wood sliver out of my finger while wiping away my tears; you did it all, and I never once felt like my worries were your burden.
Now that’s a man who loves his daughter.
My teenage years are really where your grey hair came in. It was at this time that I realized life does indeed come with very real struggles. Divorce, death and despair were familiar roadblocks that we dealt with as a family, but still your faith never wavered. More importantly, your love for me and our friendship only continued to grow.
You taught me how to drive in empty parking lots – I still remember you bringing your own cones and pieces of wood to lay out as obstacles to overcome. You fixed my car in the middle of winter, came to all of my cheerleading competitions, gave me the freedom to make my own mistakes, huffed and puffed your way through a 5K I made you run with me, and ended each day, no matter how difficult, with a hug and an I love you.
Move-in day at college
Down the road you moved me into my college dorm room. It was the first time any of your kids had moved away, and I think the distance broke my heart more than it did yours. I was scared without you right by my side, but you giving me freedom to test my limits was the best thing I never knew I needed.
You never failed to tell me how proud you were of me when I called with good news, and you also kept me grounded by reminding me not to get a big ego. As you helped me through college, I did my best to make you proud, though I inevitably stumbled a few times along the way.
I’m a sucker for candids.
One of the best moments of my life was when I surprised you by giving the commencement speech at my undergraduate ceremony. I still don’t know how I kept it a secret for as long as I did! But it was the cherry on top, the ultimate way I could show you how much your support really meant to me. The candid of you and I hugging after my ceremony says it all.
After college things again got a little tough, both for me and our family. I struggled through some serious heartbreak and our family endured one curveball after the next, some more permanent than others.
On more than one occasion I called you crying, unsure of what to do or how to feel better. You always had an answer, yet sometimes I didn’t want to hear it because it was easier to wallow in my sorrows. No matter what, though, I took your insights to heart and used them to somehow push through the tough times.
Super Bowl 2014
I truly believe you were put on this earth to be my Dad. For little reasons like enjoying black coffee, being a Yankee fan, knowing who Jacques Cousteau and René Descartes are, loving the song Vienna by Billy Joel and sporting boat shoes and a ball cap for my go-to attire on the weekends.
More importantly, for big reasons like treating people with respect, not rushing through life, making a work-life balance a priority, and knowing the true value of family and of the words I love you. It takes someone tough to show their emotion, and I value that about you above all else.
You’re the best guy I’ve ever known, and the most dependable guy I’ll ever have to rely on. Thank you for giving me my wit, sarcasm, sense of humor, appreciation of adventure and family roots that are tough enough to endure any storm.
Happy Father’s Day, Daddio. May you never forget how truly impactful your constant love and support have been on me. I love you more than you’ll ever know.
Xoxo, your self-proclaimed favorite 😉
The older I get The more I can see How much he loved my mother and my brother and me And he did the best that he could And I only hope when I have my own family
That everyday I see
A little more of my father in me
– Keith Urban
Confidently Katie 