My Dad, Part Three...

Dad

You were there to watch me grow
You taught me so much of what I know
In life, in love, in faith, in childhood
You did for me the best you could
The time we spent I hold so dear
Teaching me to have little fear
Of what the future holds for us
It became so easy for me to trust
That you would always be there for me
To ask advice, or just a plea
To hear me out, and watch me fumble
To pick me up after I so often stumbled
Take your time and do it right
Is a motto I thought I could fight
Looking back I know that with age
Came experience that I could not gauge
You watched me grow into a mother
Watched your family expand into another
Generation of my young boys to train
Into avid hunters to trek across terrain
To lands not touched by roads and trucks
To test your awesome hunting "luck"
With you came time the boys won’t forget
On Grandpa’s lap they loved to sit
And listen to stories of your adventures
Some of them for only their ears
Michael always learned so much
Jeffrey yearned for your loving touch
Jordan was so easy for you to enjoy
You shook your head and said "what a boy"
There are so many things I would change
So many things that are now out of range
I would love you so much better
I’d be the daughter who would never
Be too busy to sit and listen
Now, too late, I realize what I’ll be missing
I’d love to take a hike or a walk
Or just sit and hear you talk
About the days that you loved so much
I wouldn’t roll my eyes with such
Boredom for another "fishing story"
But lean forward and listen to all your glory
I’d love to hear of days so dreary
Your body tired and so weary
Setting out way before the dawn
To settle back and stifle a yawn
Waiting for that one perfect shot
The only chance you sometimes got
Stories of tracking for hours through snow
To find the perfect place to go
To settle your sights on some huge buck
I always knew it wasn’t really great luck
You were the best man I ever could have had
And I was blessed to call you Dad.

Love,
Amanda Jo