Stories of Fatherhood

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As we near Father’s Day this year, I can’t stop being sentimental. Maybe it is because we’ve been working on a couple secret gifts for my dad and Bruce’s dad, maybe it is because I’m now in the last year of my twenties and trying to make the most of things, OR maybe it is just because I am a sentimental lady. 😉 The older I get, the closer I get to my parents in a different way. We can relate, share, laugh, drink, & go on adventures in a whole new way than when we were kids. It’s so fun.

I see more and more how my parents were so influential in making me who I am today. And not just in the obvious ways like the fact that they raised me but the subtle ways. I see how I picked up on my dad’s work ethic and my mom’s passion. Things that were HUGE in me starting Oak + Oats and pursuing it as my job. When we can all sit around the table as adults, it is fun to see my parents be like our friends. Laughing at funny moments, talking about work, sharing advice, sharing things going on in our lives… it is sweet. And above and beyond, it has been so fun to relate to Bruce’s parents over the past five years as my own. I didn’t grow up with them but I get their friendship & parenting now and I see how Bruce is who he is because of them. I’m not naive to the world and I know how lucky I am to have parents like this – on both sides. It is a heritage I want to pass on to my kids as well.

Bruce and I stopped into Target and read nearly every card in the Father’s Day aisle. We decided this year we would pick cards for our dads that remind us of a story because it is important to remember those memories and share them! So we were the two loud people with a camera laughing & sharing stories with each other as we recalled our childhood and picked cards for our dads! Make sure you have your cartwheel app handy because you can save on your Father’s Day cards at Target when you are there too!

Elizabeth

I was instantly drawn to the Star Wars section. Star Wars memories make up a good part of my childhood and they were all instigated by my dad. I remember him telling us when he took my mom on a date to see The Empire Strikes Back in theaters. This was before midnight showings and 13 movie theaters showing at the same time and they were the second showing. They watched everyone from the first movie walk out stoic and shocked which made everyone waiting in line nervous – they had no idea what to expect! When they walked out of the theater they looked the same and quickly passed by the 3rd group waiting. Everyone was still too shocked that Darth Vader was Luke’s Father and no one wanted to spoil it!

I can’t tell you how many times my dad would tuck me into bed and in his best Darth Vader voice say, “Elizabeth, I am your Father!” And it never got old, I loved it every time. I saw a “You are my Father” card and had to pick it up. But there also was an Obi Wan Kenobi card that was infinitely more sentimental – “A wise man, a good man, a man of character” and because of that I grabbed that one too. We played with all the lightsabers, watched all the movies, and quoted all the lines. “Ani, you’re breaking my heart!! You’re going down a path I cannot follow” (only said in your best whiny voice 😉 )

So when you combine Star Wars with a heartfelt good man of character card it is the winner for my dad. Above all the Star Wars things, he is a wise man, a good man, a man of character! He has taught me the importance of those things. Seeking the Lord, always learning, being above reproach, doing your best, working hard, keeping your word, loving others unconditionally, serving others, and making a difference. He instilled all that in me and I am so thankful to call him mine.

BRUCE

My dad is the kind of guy who says things like “mean as ducks” or “it’ll put hair on your chest”. He’s the kind of Dad who relayed real life stories of when he and his friends were playing with sticks in the woods and it really was “all fun and games until someone loses an eye”. My dad is the king of colloquialism and I can’t imagine my life without knowing the meaning to obscure phrases that constantly keeps Beth asking “What does that even mean?”.

So when I saw this card with that very phrase inside it, I was immediately reminded of the time my Dad shared the aforementioned story after I threw a paper airplane inside the house, and then he made me walk around with one eye covered for 15 minutes so I would know what it might be like. There were several relatable cards I saw when looking, but this one simply “took the cake.”