My Dad is awesome. I have learned many things from him.
The difference between a phillips and flat head screw driver.
How to build a deck.
If you turn off a computer and count to 30, your problem will most likely go away and if it doesn't, call you Father.
Pecan pie is better if warmed for 30 second.
How to ride a bike.
Sometimes it's better to listen than speak.
Pistachio really is the best ice cream flavor.
Patience is the most important thing in the world.
The list can go on and on and on.
There is a memory in particular that I have from growing up that was recently triggered when one of my friends brought me a bar of Cadbury fruit & nut from a trip she took to the UK.
While Cadbury is not rare or even gourmet in this day and age, it sent me back to when I was a kid and Cadbury fruit & nut was one of my mom's favorite things. It was a pretty big thing in India when she was growing up so my dad would surprise her with a bar once in a while. I think my brother and I would get more excited about it than my parents did.
As I got older, I realized there were many other candy bars. When I say older, I mean 10 and not 30. Snickers, Twix, Almond Joy and my favorite, Kit Kat were always the ones I wanted when my mom dragged us to the grocery store.
The Cadbury bar would still make an appearance from time to time but Ferro Roche started staking it's claim. Also, Cadbury purchased in the US didn't quite taste the same as Cadbury bought in India or the UK. There was a merger with Hershey and rumors of recipe changes but who knows what really happened.
So back to 2013, when I had a piece of the chocolate bar that my friend Amanda brought from the UK, it took me back to when I was 5. I had this vision of standing in my parent's kitchen when the wallpaper was still the alphabet and numbers and we had yellow linoleum chairs. (Yeah, it rocked!) I remembered that excited feeling I use to get when I saw the purple wrapped bar in my father's hands as he gave it to my mother and she would smile her million dollar smile. It was like they were saying something to each other that only they could hear.
My mom really does have one of the best smiles in the world. I know every little kid thinks that but I'm pretty sure I'm still right.
We would all dance around and have some chocolate. Ok, Mostly I would dance around the kitchen but we all shared the chocolate. Things were simple back then. A candy bar was all it took to make us all feel giddy. Special. Trapped in a moment that stopped the rest of the world around us.
In some way, that memory brings me back to earth. It reminds me that sometimes the most simple things can be the biggest gestures. It was sweet things like this that made my dad who he was. For all of you that have met my dad, you know he is not a man of many words, but his heart is as big as it comes.
For sharing your whopper with me after I ate all my chicken nuggets.
For teaching me the value of hard work and dedication.
For knowing when to push me out of the nest and when to pull me in and protect me.
For always reminding me to follow my heart and take chances.
