One morning when I was 8, my dad drove me to school and looked my way with a silly grin. "JennyGirl, you need to tie your shoes, he said." I looked down, and sure enough, they were loose as a goose. He then started singing, "Oh JennyGirl, JennyGirl tie your shoes...Oh JennyGirl, JennyGirl tie your shooooose."I laughed so hard that tears sprung to my eyes. He giggled and sang even louder. My 8 year old legs dangled toward the floor of his car. Shoe laces still a mess. I didn't dare tie them for fear that he'd quit singing.
"Ohhhh JennyGirl, JennyGirl tie your shooooose...."
The moment still lives in my mind as though it were yesterday. The California sun was shining, my dad's eyes twinkled, and I was proud. Proud to have a dad - proud to have untied shoes - proud to be me.
"So what the heck does this have to do with my blog?" you may be asking.
My answer is "everything."
Two years later my father died. And at 10 my quest for understanding & healing began.
It's pretty interesting when you think about it. We human beings are preoccupied with trying to undo the done or holding onto the beauty that was -- the very things that have conditioned us to act in certain ways.
For me, my father's death was painful, yet it is what has made me who I am. I wonder if this is a good thing :-P Well...I at least make believe it has allowed for me to see things differently, to experience the world with open arms a little more than I would have otherwise.
I'm going to attempt a blog, and I invite you to follow if you dare. The goal is to be bold and true. And maybe we can journey together and find a process for being bolder. So here we go...
What's one of your favorite memories of a child? Share in comments for fun :-)
