On Father’s Day



All About My Dad

His Very Special Moments

Story Book

Written By Leah Stodden

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My Dad have a lot of wonderful and very special moments in his whole life. When I was a baby my mom and dad take care of me and my dad lay beside me and sleep beside me on the couch. That is when we are napping together.

There is another thing we do together with me. It is that he show me and learning with me how to have a communication. When I was a baby while my dad lay next to me and talk with me. And as I grow into a beautiful and smart grown up he help me to learn and work on communication together. 

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Dad works at KPTM/KXVO and he is a manager there. Sometimes he goes to special events and business meetings out of town. He loves to hang out in his office at home and listen to his own loud music on his big black speaker on the floor when he doing his office stuff. He also Love to be outside and do some reading and to be in the sunlight when it is a sunny nice day of weather outside too. He also love to watch tv at night in his favorite chair in the living room and read in his favorite chair. 

My Dad loves to play tennis with all of us with his family and when we have company in town too. He enjoy have company in town and to visit with them and play music and listen to music and watch music concerts and regular tv with them too. He loves to be with all of us and with all of his whole family.

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He loves to entertain us by playing guitar and play piano by ear. When I go to different cities to have a piano performance, Mom and Dad go with me and to see me to perform for the audience and for them too. My Dad loves to go out shopping with me to buy music cds and look around in the music area. And we go out for lunch and dinner all of us in our family.

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My Dad and me Love to go out on dates just the two of us and we call it Dad and Daughter Dates and we also take Mom out with us sometimes too. These are truly special moments that we share just the two of us and sometimes with Mom too. I love to dance a lot of times and sometimes with my Dad. We enjoy going to the movie theater together. And he takes me to Family Video and we rent movies. My Dad also enjoy and loves to take my Mom on dates and Anniversary Dates and then they get a grilled chicken sandwich for me and a chocolate chip cookie. Sometimes they surprise me with all different types of foods.

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My Dad also help me learn to use technology and the different remotes that I use for the TV and DVD and VCR and the Wii. He is patience with me and teach me the different input to use. 

My Dad have very special moments in his whole life that he shares with his family together. Happy Father’s Day Daddy.

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As with all of our posts, Leah writes her portion on her own. Each week when I receive her contribution for the upcoming post, I never quite know what I am going to open up and read. And each week, her words make me smile more and more.

Why does this happen? I think it’s because her words are raw and real. She writes exactly what she thinks and feels…no detail too silly to omit. It’s okay if there’s repetition -those are among the most important things that she wants to say- so why not drive it home and say it again…and again. She includes the details that we often forget are the things that make a moment so special. A hug becomes an embrace that’s familiar to us all, “when he squeeze me tight and bring me close and never let go for a long long time.”

When we decided to write a special Father’s Day post for our dad, I was expecting to receive many paragraphs from Leah saying how much she loves our dad. How he has a special place in her heart forever. How he is funny and goofy, makes her laugh so hard she can’t catch her breath, and how he is one of her “truly best friends.” This would have been wonderful.

What Leah naturally did instead was even better. Instead, she highlighted the moments that make my dad who he is. Instead of simply saying he is talented, or a good father, or a hard worker… she illustrated this for us through the way he lives his life. “His Very Special Moments Story Book.” All of Leah’s words are bursting with admiration, and she didn’t even once have to say the words, “I admire you.” Yet another lesson learned from the one who brightens my world.

Now, what do I want to say about my dad on Father’s Day? I’m daunted at the task, for any sentence will hardly portray what he means to me…what I’ve learned from him.

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Iced Tea at his side with a guitar in his lap. Cool, calm, content, and always playing music, whether from his own hands or lightly in the background from a nearby speaker. He’s always ready for whatever those around him have in mind for the moment, with a, “let’s do it,” attitude, no matter how big or small the suggestion is. The crazy dreamer in me will tell him my next goal or idea, and his response –every time- will be, “Where do we start?” And guess what? We have pulled off some incredible stunts because of his make it happen attitude.

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He is the comedic icebreaker that everyone is so thankful to have in their group. He is simple in all the right ways. He is constantly reading and finding ways to grow in his many, many interests. He is a guitarist. A pianist. A drummer. A mandolin player. Trumpet. Bass. Ukulele. Music, music, music. The reason for my deep appreciation of The Beatles.

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He has shown me sacrifice. Patience. That we will make mistakes but we will move forward, with the opportunity to be better and do more with each new day.

He will always be one of my absolute favorite people to be around.

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Happy Father’s Day, we love you dad!

One thing I love about social media is that it has given the world a platform to tribute those who impact our lives, especially on holidays like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day. On these days, though my Facebook feed is completely over saturated with pictures of fathers, mothers, etc… Each picture and paragraph brings me so much joy. In a time when our lives are becoming more and more filled with tragedy, these days show that we will keep going, keep dancing, and keep choosing love. And that keeps me smiling.

Here’s to turning our minds Upside Down.



 

2 Comments

  1. Tami Bean

    I am so glad you are writing this blog. Our beautiful daughter, Piper, joined our family in January. She also had Down Syndrome and it is fun to see what exciting things lay in store for us as we share in her journey. She looks just like you, Leah, as a baby!

  2. Roger & Judy

    I love to read your blogs and this one is a wonderful tribute to your Dad. God has blessed him with such fine girls. Leah is such blessing and has a way of expressing her love and admiration. I remember enjoying it so much when you girls were little and your folks brought you to our house to visit and all played the piano for us including Dad, love to you.

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