When you read that word “cheerleader”, what do you think of? Little girls with yarn ribbons in pig tails, encouraging Under 10’s playing basketball or football, all while trying to look cool yet still smiling for mom and dad? Maybe young adult gymnasts flying high in the air, or carrying huge flags, spurring on alumni and students? Maybe you think of a friend who pushed you to ask out that one crush. Maybe you think of your partner who keeps encouraging you to take that step into a scary unknown to fulfill a dream. All these things are true for me. Today, especially, I am missing my special cheerleader. I miss my Dad.
Like so many parents, mine were attentive, loving, supportive, challenging (and challenged, sorry Mom), and they did this with more grace than they probably knew they had. Despite him fearing that we would not have a special bond, we had just that. He taught me so many things, both big and small. He taught me how to take in the stars on a clear night, how to cartwheel race, how to pray and how to say thank you, how to demand to heard by listening to others (he was a feminist, at least for me), among so many other wonderful things. He also asked for my best efforts, in all that I did. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing your best,” I heard more than once, about everything. However, I was not left to just do “it”, he was there asking how I was doing, if I needed help, if I needed to talk things out, and cheering me on. I miss that.
It has been eleven years now. Some days it feels like so long ago and remembrances are fading. Then I will hear a song, see a special family (see my husband with our daughter), or I have a problem to sort out, like when I was deciding to launch C Things Differently, and I feel his presence and hear him cheering me on. I am so thankful for the memories but I miss my cheerleader. I miss my Dad.
Thanks for all the amazing views you've helped me see. I can hear you cheering.
Thanks for reading,
*~ Christine ~*