Dad's Shadow

Before I dive into celebrating my father, I want to share a little about my maternal grandfather. My grandfather, Jesse Hall, is deceased and I miss him so much. He died when I was 17 years old from Alzheimer’s Disease. My grandfather (who I actually called granddaddy) didn’t live far from us. We all lived on the same dirt road. He had hogs, chickens, hunting dogs, and a garden. I now realize watching him tend to the garden was an experience not everyone gets with a grandparent. He grew a variety of vegetables and fruit in the garden, but I vividly remember the watermelons! They were huge, juicy, and sweet! Granddaddy put so much work in that garden. Any time I plant anything, I think about him. I believe he would be so proud. My love for gardening may have come from my granddaddy but my love for horses was nurtured by my dad.

In all my years of riding horses, I was like my dad’s shadow! If it involved horses, I wanted to do it. It did not matter if we were riding, bathing, feeding, mucking, or chilling—I was content. I began riding when I was 3 years old and have loved it ever since. We bonded over horses. From trail riding to learning about horses from him, there was so much time we spent together. I think it is so important for fathers to not only be there to protect their children but nurture their interests. In elementary school the class was assigned a project to present to the class about something we were passionate about. Naturally, my topic was horses. My dad helped me film a video about our farm and horses. I wish I could find the VHS. I was so shy, and he knew this but he encouraged me to do it anyway. Without the support to pursue my passion for horses—you know the horse girl phase does not end—I do not know how far I would have gone.

Introducing me to horses was not the only thing my dad did. I was able to observe him as an entrepreneur. When he had an idea, he acted on it. That is exactly how I am today. Being able to see ideas come to fruition shaped my belief that anything is possible. I was a kid with a dream of having all the horses and all the animals. He recalls the time I asked him if I could move my bed into the barn so I could sleep with our horses. He did say no as most dads probably would (I mean an entire bed?). As an adult, I will certainly be living out the childhood dream of sleeping in our barn. See, anything is possible!

I am very fortunate to have a dad I share similar interests with. However, no matter if you share similar interests or not, support them! Show up for them! Tell them how proud you are of them! It will mean so much to know you are in their corner.

Happy Father’s Day!