When I was in kindergarten my dad drove me to school every single day. And every single day we would chew on cinnamon toothpicks. I felt so grown up... sitting in the front seat with my dad, with a toothpick in my mouth... just like him.
You don't see many cinnamon toothpicks on the shelves these days. They are apparently pretty hard to come by. One time when I was about 5 or 6 I tried to make my very own handmade cinamon toothpicks. I found some kind of cinamon-scented potpouri oil, and figured I could just dip a bunch of toothpicks in there and voila! Yeah... that didn't work out so well. I was left with red, burning lines on the sides of my mouth. I looked like the Joker. My parents asked what the heck I had been doing and I'm pretty sure I tried to make something up... just like when I cut my own bangs.
But I digress...
There's something about those cinnamon toothpicks that still evoke a memory for me. And it never fails... anytime I see cinnamon toothpicks I think fondly of the times my dad drove me to school everyday... having him all to myself... just me and my daddy. Even then, at a mere 5 years old, I knew that he didn't buy those toothpicks just for him... they were for me too. He thought those moments were just as special as I did. I always knew how special I was to him...
And now... nearly 27 years later, I still know. My dad has always showered my sister and I with a selfless love that I am forever grateful for. He loves and supports me and Lance in so many ways. He loves my husband as his own son, and that simple act warms my heart to the very core. He adores his future granddaughter as if he has known her from the very beginning... he spends hours before and after work each day making the most beautiful creations to donate to our adoption fund... just to help bring our baby girl home that much faster. I get simply giddy with anticipation knowing that our baby girl will have the most amazing Papa ever.
Dad- happy birthday. Thanks for being the most incredible father a girl could ever ask for. I am forever grateful for all you have done and continue to do. And thanks for the cinnamon toothpicks. I love you.
5 comments:
So sweet... nothing like memories of your parents when you're young. I'm a daddy's girl still so I appreciate the small things that take me back to the good ole days :)
Happy Birthday to your dad!
You made your Daddy cry this morn. Totally love the story. Even though I already knew it, it is still so good to see it in writing. Thanks Julia, you are the bomb of writers! Love you!
So funny about the toothpicks. They bring back memories for me too. When we lived in Hawaii (I know don't you feel sorry for me) and we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant, a highlight for my then 12 year old self was grabbing a wad of them and sucking on them the whole car ride home.
This post made me well up, in the best way possible. Cheers to awesome dads and cinnamon toothpicks!
a precious post to honor an incredible guy. daddies are pretty great!
You are so blessed, and Zara is so blessed. I missed the coffee post but now that I'm know, I'm so jumping on that bandwagon. Love to you!
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