My Father Is My Hero!*

I spent my afternoon trying to connect with friends to see Spiderman 3 tonight. Phone tag and rejection are not fun but after much searching and calling a group of us went to the 9:35 show. I might share my thoughts on the movie tomorrow or not. We’ll wait and see. Today’s struggle to find people reminded me of horrible day in high school that led to my greatest movie date -EVER!

It was the first Saturday of Christmas break. I was so excited. No, I was beyond excited, like a five-year old Christmas Eve excited. My parents had delayed the road trip to the relatives till Tuesday so that I could go to go a friend's Christmas party Monday night (they are great!) AND, this particular Saturday the same friend and I had planned to go to the movies.

I had been anticipating the show for weeks. We both had and knowing how much I wanted to see it friend had said movie-watching would be my Christmas present. Others from our group of friends had found out about our movie plans and asked to join. I didn’t mind, the more the merrier, right? All that mattered I was that my dearest friend and I were going to see a movie together. Everything felt right with the world.

About an hour or so before we were going to meet I get a call. There had been a change in plans. One of the group was busy and couldn't make a Saturday show, but she was free on Tuesday. Everyone else had already agreed to go on Tuesday, and did I mind? I did...because I would be on the road heading to see family. I tried to explain that I would be gone already and this was the only day I could see the movie...which was why we had made our "Christmas present plans" for Saturday. Her response, not her exact words but the tone and feeling they gave were, “well that is your fault”. The group had already decided. If I wanted I join them watching rented movies for the rest of the afternoon. I said I would see them soon.

I was crushed; this was suppose to be my special-Christmas-present-friendship-time-outing. After I hung up the phone I began to cry. The tears soon turned into a flood. Please don’t think less of me but I was broken hearted and I cried like a baby. I wailed like a baby. To the point that my parents came running upstairs to comfort me thinking that one of my friends had died. Through the sobs I told my parents of the change in plans, that I would miss the movie, and that after I washed my face I was going to go over to the friends house.

It was at that moment when my dad firmly stated, “No you're not." I was a little stunned. My parents never stopped me from hanging out with my group. But before I could question him he continued: "If my little girl wants to go see this movie today than my little girl will go see the movie today -and I will take her!”

And he did! He took me to see a cartoon. A movie he didn’t care to see but knew that I would love. And I did, I loved every minute of it. I think it was even sweeter because it was with my dad. My dad is my hero! That first date started a Christmas movie date tradition that my dad has kept every year. Our father-daughter movie dates is one of my absolute favourite Christmas traditions.

I love my dad!

*Originally titled "A Father Moment" edited at title change June 16, 2011

Comments

Jo said…
now i love your dad too!
Sarah Beth said…
That is such a cute story! What a sweet thing for your Dad to do.