Family Tradition

Every year since I was born, my dad has given me flowers for Valentine’s Day. When I was young, I looked forward to it so much. My parents had divorced when I was 5, and, when we still all lived in Wyoming, my dad and I ended up living about three hours apart. I remember some Valentine’s Days were spent together, and some were spent apart. Some years the florist would deliver his flowers to me to my house, and other years they were delivered to my school.

All of the kids would be jealous, because they didn’t get flowers. It wasn’t something to really be jealous of though, because they got to go home to their dads, and I didn’t. The flowers were our way to be connected on a day when we couldn’t be together. I missed him everyday, and I was in fact jealous of the kids who had their dads at home. The best Valentine’s Days were the ones when he would make the three hour drive to surprise me, and deliver the flowers himself.

Then, my mom and I moved to Iowa, and my dad stayed in Wyoming. That was so hard. But every Valentine’s Day I would receive flowers from my dad, at my house or at my school. I looked forward to it every year. Time moves forward, and I grew up. I have two girls and a son of my own. Still every year I get flowers from my dad. Every year.

With the chaos of this past year, certain things have seemed to slip my mind. Today when I got home from work, these beauties were waiting for me at my house. I got teary eyed and smiled. The card read, “Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you so much! Love, Dad.” I have celebrated thirty-five Valentine’s Days, and have received thirty-five valentine flower bouquets from my dad. They mean more to me than he will probably ever know. I am so thankful for my dad, and the person he is today. I am blessed that, even in the hard times of the past, he never forgot about me, and he always made sure I knew he loved me. Just like today, even though we are hundreds of miles apart, I know I am on his mind. He is my biggest supporter and encourager. He is who I look up to. He is always in my heart.