Dad’s Got Your Back
Dads. My Dad is pretty awesome. As a child, I pretty much excelled at everything, or at least I thought I did, and I am also pretty sure this false sense of self can be blamed on my father.
In 5th grade, my class was asked to draw a poster about fire safety rules. I took this as a challenge. You see, I felt I had never been given proper credit for my ability to color within the lines on each and every project I had been given prior. My father constantly reassured me that my drawings/colorings were the best whether some dumb ass teacher thought so or not. Until this day in 5th grade, no one ever thought my drawings were as good as we did. We were a team – Team Amanda. But, on this day, my drawing about fire safety finally got the recognition it deserved and I was chosen to go downtown to the courthouse and get a ribbon as an award for my artistic expressions. It was a big day for both of us, and I was going to be on the 6 O’clock news. Pretty much every parent in a small town’s dream come true.
Taking this as seriously as I had taken the drawing in the first place, I planned my outfit and hair choice very carefully. First, my outfit would revolve around my new Reebok sneakers that were white with a pink and blue double tongue. Next, I had some acid washed jeans that had blue and pink flowers on them. This seemed like a natural combo. However, I didn’t want to be too matchy matchy and run the risk of the other children thinking that this outfit came bought from the mall together. Therefore, I paired my sneakers and jeans with a pink sweatshirt that had a huge ass horse head on it with the horse’s mane wildly blowing in the wind, just to throw everyone off. Now, the main problem with choosing this sweatshirt was it was considered “play clothes” because after my mother did the laundry it lived in the “play clothes” drawer. Which meant it wasn’t really for places like church, school, or anywhere else my grandmother might be. This element of surprise was important for me to make the statement that I needed to make, but I feared once my dad got home to take me downtown he wouldn’t allow me to wear such a thing, so just to really lock in the idea that I was creative and most likely going to be an artist one day, I attempted to do some beach waves in my hair. To be clear, this was me recreating some Baywatch girl I saw in a magazine because there is definitely no beach in Karns. I am not even kidding – and it should be entirely illegal that this incident isn’t on video. This led to my grandmother asking upon arrival if I had forgotten to brush my hair.
After an enormous eye roll, I assured her that all the cool kids did this to their hair and it was 100% my idea to look like a bad version of Chelsea Clinton. I gave my Dad a look to let him know that I was pretty sure Mamaw knew nothing, and he gave me a look that he was really excited and proud of me no matter what my hair looked like.
It didn’t stop there; Dad would go on to defend all sorts of my decisions, good or bad. He is always in my corner and I am pretty sure that everyone deserves someone like him. The relationship between Fathers and Daughters is special. To him I can do no wrong. He takes unconditional love to the next level. That is just the way it works. He threatens to kill anyone who makes a snide remark to me or calls a foul on me in a junior pro basketball game whether I am deserving of it or not. And I make sure he gets to curse occasionally at the dinner table without Mom giving disappointing looks. I understand I get the better deal in this relationship, but I am pretty sure that is just part of being a parent.
Father’s day is right around the corner. Most years I send a card and make a phone call. Every once and a while I send a gift. This year, I am planning to send my dad a gift I got off East Dane. I also wanted to give you guys an opportunity to do the same. So, after that super long story about me and my dad please enter below for your chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to East Dane, the brother site to Shopbop.
Four winners will be chosen at random and all you need to do is sign up for the BtM Newsletter and leave a comment with you favorite gift from East Dane. Check out the gift guide I put together if you are running low on ideas. Some of my favorites include the men’s shoes, specifically, the adidas by Raf Simons. Awesome. They also have a lot of great stuff in the 50% Off Mens section.
And make sure your Dad knows how much you appreciate and love him. If you are like me, you probably need to say thank you a little more often.
Thanks Dad, don’t worry I got your back too!
Happy Father’s Day.
***beauty always comes from within, photos from East Dane & my personal collection, xoxo behind the mirror***
