the inspiration of dreams

i know i'm a horrible daughter -- it's wednesday and i'm finally sitting down to write a tribute to my father. however, i believe my daddy deserves to be celebrated every day, not just on father's day. he's truly one-of-a-kind. i know lots of people say that about their dads, but i'm telling you fact: there is no one on earth like my daddy.

yes, i am a true-blue through-and-through daddy's girl. i'm proud of that. i also pride myself on having some of his same qualities. let me just list some of his many great qualities for you:

1. my father knows no stranger. regardless of age, gender, race, socioeconomic standing, or any other factor, my dad will befriend them all. his quirky little-boy excitement wins over most, his innocence and love does the rest.
2. some might call him eccentric, and is that true? maybe, i'm not sure. what i do know is that he is a dreamer. there was a time in my life i got frustrated with this quality of his, then i grew up. one should always have a dream - no matter how seemingly insignificant or unreachable it may be, dreams make life worth living. my dad shoots for the stars and sometimes he misses, but he always knows how to make due with what he's got. and he never tires of aiding others in achieving their dreams as well.
3. daddy is the most patient man i know. i want to be just like him in that respect. i could share examples, but there are so many that i don't know how to choose. ... and, if he ever loses his patience with me, he quickly returns and apologizes for being in a bad mood.
4. bad moods for my dad rarely ever last long. those incidences are few and far between. he is commonly known for his extremely happy, almost goofy demeanor. finding the silver lining in a dark, stormy cloud comes naturally for him. if encouragement is what you seek, he will drown you in it for all intents and purposes. i think that goes along with number 1.
5. he shows his love by serving others. it doesn't matter who comes to our doorstep, he will invite them in and offer any and every edible item in the house. if you try to resist {for example, you are trying to eat healthy or diet!!} he slowly but surely wears you down and is able to show his care through feeding you and putting on a show at the same time {we're talking singing and sometimes even dancing, people. this is no joke}
6. the heart my dad has must be the largest {figuratively} anyone could possibly have. sometimes while growing up i would be extremely irritable. my sweet dad patiently and consistently shared with me pieces of wisdom -- spiritual, emotional, academic, .... whatever the situation warranted. it has taken me the majority of my young life to appreciate the wisdom daddy has. he's a deep thinker and is intouch with his emotions. seriously, his heart is overflowing with love, and he simply shares it with everyone around him.

to sum it all up, my daddy is most comparable to this man:

He even used to have a yellow sweater {brighter than the one above} that was his favorite. i would often see him wearing it with a white t-shirt and running pants, though my favorite part was that he - more often than not - would have the sweater buttoned-down completely mismatched.

i love my daddy so much and i am so incredibly grateful for all that he does. he is mr. mom and the perfect dad all wrapped-up into one. since my momma is always so busy being a college professor, daddy keeps the family together. i love his heart. i love his thoughts. i want to be like him. most of all, i am so grateful for the inspiration he is to me and everyone around him.

another inspiration i have found is the author of a blog that i cannot get enough of. the author, christina, is a mother of five children -- twin girls age four and triplet boys age two. therefore, the title of her blog full house is a perfect fit, isn't it? she is so thrifty and creative, i just want to sew or build or paint something whenever i read her blog! in my opinion, yay! for anything that inspires and motivates.

yay! for dreams