Holidays are wonderful, or holidays are hard. For some, today is a fantastic day to go the extra mile to tell or show your dad how much you love him. For others, it’s painful. Maybe you’ve lost a father, or yours isn’t in your life. I have friends and relatives on both sides of the coin. It’s very personal whether you celebrate Father’s Day or not, or any special holiday, really. I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky to have both parents in my life, even though they are on the complete opposite side of the country. I don’t think I’ve been around for Mother’s or Father’s Day since high school, but I personally spend these holidays reflecting.

My daddy and me. I was in awe of something.

I recognize that each holiday has it’s own focus, and I don’t want to take away from Father’s Day. But, I started this blog after Mother’s Day, so I want to use this entry to give a shout out to both of my parents.

My parents at the Grand Canyon.

Every year as I get older, I appreciate my parents more and more. I’m almost at the age they were when I came into this world, and I’m in such a different place in my life than they were at my age. I have so much respect for them – at my age, they now had two young children, my mom either worked part-time or stayed at home, and my dad often traveled for work. Here I am, raising cats across the country from them, working during the week, and playing in the mountains every weekend. I barely call myself an adult. I guess we all take our own life paths, and I give them mad props for being selfless and putting up with my sister and me. 😉

They had their hands full with us.

I have great childhood memories because of them. They have some not so great memories because of me: I once hid ice cream under our rocking chair, forgot about it, and gave our family room new stiff carpet. This was probably the same week I was “cooking,” put my ketchup, mustard, and mayo concoction in the basement to settle, then also forgot about it.  Was this the same year I brought my dead gerbil to kindergarten for show and tell? All parent have stories.

They got me involved in sports and shelled out a lot of money each month for me to do both gymnastics and swimming year-round. They carted me to and from practice, whether it was at 5 AM, or on a Saturday. My mom would leave work early during the week to get me to the gym. I had gymnastics competitions all over the country. I wanted to play an instrument throughout middle school and high school, so they bought me flutes and paid for flute lessons. I wanted to go to summer camp, so they paid to send me to a camp in Tennessee for a few summers, and also to a marine biology camp in the Florida Keys. We weren’t rich, but they did what they could to give us kids enriching opportunities.

My dad and me at high school graduation.

Then there’s college. My minimum wage part-time retail job wouldn’t get me anywhere with tuition. I wanted to go out of state, and I landed at the University of Denver. I think they breathed a sigh of relief two years in when I decided to pursue meteorology, which Denver didn’t offer. They still helped out when I transferred to NC State, paying the rent that my $7/hour job couldn’t. My mom took me shopping for my first suit and professional clothes when I scored my first TV job after graduating. They even took care of my cat when I couldn’t afford to during that first job. I was VERY spoiled, and they worked incredibly hard.

My mom and me at the Mighty Mackinac Bridge.

My dad got his financial planning license in Michigan and drove hours out of his way to visit me during business trips. I then moved even farther away to California. After something like 8 Christmas’ apart from them, they skipped their Christmas traditions this past year, took time off work (retire already!), and flew across the country to spend the holiday with me in my apartment.

They came to see me for our first Christmas together in almost a decade!

Showing my parent around my “backyard” – Yosemite.

My mom in one of her favorite cities!

I could go on and on about how they’ve supported me my whole life, how they continue to support me as an adult, and how expensive of an offspring I am. Not to mention, I have 3 beautiful nieces and 1 little nephew, so they have several grandchildren to spoil!

My dad with his first granddaughter, 2005.

His one and only grandson! Notice the shirts…

I can only hope that I can turn the tables and repay them. It’s hard being so far away, as I can’t physically do something for my dad, like take him out to dinner tonight. The news and weather is 24/7. We don’t get holidays off, we work around the clock all year long, so most holidays are just another day. Many other professions are the same way, so I’m not alone in always missing out on family time – I know many of you can relate! No life lacks sacrifices. Until I can take a trip back east (it’s been 2.5 years!), a phone call is all I have.

Hiking in western North Carolina with my dad.

So to my parents – you are appreciated not only on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but every day. I’m looking forward to the next chance we have to meet up. I hope everyone out there who is spending the day with their fathers has a great time, and I hope all the fathers out there enjoy their day. And for those who are not a fan of today’s holiday, I hope you have a peaceful Sunday.

Keep scrolling for a few more photos that my parents don’t know I have. I’m not sure who is supposed to be embarrassing who at our ages.

After moving me into the dorm for my freshman year of college, we drove down to Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs.

My dad in Las Vegas. Or, as he calls it, Lost Wages.

My mom at the Grand Canyon.

Hiking with my mom in the North Georgia mountains.

Butchart Gardens near Victoria, Canada.

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park.