What a weekend

This weekend was crazy!

It started off with the Calvary college ministry's annual square dance. I went straight from the lab to the square dance (late, of course). I got there just as they were finishing eating. I was just standing around, waiting for everyone to finish up, so that the dancing could get started, when Joe Drummer had everyone sing me "Happy Birthday". Then he said something about a surprise and a cake, and lo and behold, my dad walked down the hill carrying a birthday cake for me! He flew all the way from upstate New York just to surprise me for my birthday! I have never been surprised for my birthday before in my life. You could have knocked me down with a feather.

So, I got a surprise, and cake, and got to dance - a great night! (Never mind that my legs were screaming at me the whole time - see Work out - fall out) Weirdness - one of the guys in my square was the same age, height, build, and coloring as Karsten (my little bro). It's still kind of weird to be to be around people that are his age in a college setting. I mean, he was only 13 when I left for school. He has grown up so much in the last five years.

Saturday: Game Day! I picked Dad up from his hotel, and we went to campus. We had lunch at the Copper Cellar, watched some of Florida getting its tail whupped by Mississippi State in the UC auditorium, I showed him the chem building, and we watched the band march to the stadium. It was pretty cool seeing the pipe band lead the way. There is nothing quite like hearing Rocky Top on the bagpipes! I got Dad a ticket to the Bama game for $15. (quote of the day from a scalper when his price was turned down - "What, are you waiting for something cheaper?!" I mean, really.) After the game, we braved the traffic on I-40W, and I showed Dad the apartment. He was really impressed by just how neat it was (not that I'm obsessive, but I had just cleaned because a friend had visited the day before). Then we wrapped up the day with a party at Esther's parents' house (huge, absolutely huge!) with friends from the New City Cafe.

Sunday: church, lunch, World's Fair Park, McKay's, Marble Slab Creamery, church again and....dinner. The food was good, the conversation, not so good. That was the time that Dad wanted to talk about our relationship. It has always been strained, but more so in the past year or two. I always manage to push his buttons, and piss him off, and then he doesn't exactly react too well. Anyway, I managed to hold back tears, but I finally just told him that we had to leave the restaurant. I dropped him off at the hotel, and met back up with some BASIC people. All I have to say about that is that I thank God daily that He has blessed me with such great friends.

And, so went the weekend. I took Dad to the airport early this morning, and said goodbye. I almost wish we hadn't talked on Sunday...things were going so well up to that point. I just get so frustrated with things that he says, and with trying to communicate with him, and there is so much that he just doesn't 'get'. I don't think he has any concept of how much he's hurt me in the past, or how much I want things to change. I want our relationship to be so different from what it is now. I want to feel like he is my daddy, my protector. I want to be able to bring my boyfriend home to him (some day) and actually care about what my dad thinks of him. I want to be able to look forward to having him walk me down the aisle (some day). It saddens me to think about how women with godly fathers look for a man who is like their father. I pray that God will continue to work in his heart, and to heal our relationship, and I do believe that Dad wants things to change, but I don't believe that any kind of lasting change will come unless he is relying on God. The more I learn about my dad's home life growing up, and about what my mom went through as a child, the more I see how a legacy of sin can harm future generations. I thank God for my salvation, the bible, a great church, and for a community of believers, from whom I am learning daily what freedom, hope, and love mean.

Thank you to the Humphreys for planning the visit with my family since mid-September!
Thanks to my awesome friends for keeping it a secret, and for lifting me up!