My never-going-to-happen-especially-not-today engagement day had suddenly happened. I could not have been more completely surprised and smitten. Hon could not have been more proud of himself for pulling off the surprise. My saying, "Yes," was a known factor, so the actual timing had to be memorable.
Hon quickly popped the ring back into his pocket. He wanted to make sure I didn't knock it into the creek 15 feet below in the midst of my tears of joy and squeals of excitement.
I told you he was a smart man.
We floated back to my house. I am sure my giggles and spontaneous leaping for joy alerted any hunters in the area. We probably also frightened all deer in a 3 mile radius. We came around the barn into the yard and saw my dad.
I did not put two and two together and connect the odd events at the wood shed with the fact that my dad probably knew our walk included a proposal.
"Dad, we're engaged!" I gushed.
And my daddy, the best Daddy in the world, my rock and biggest champion for all time said,
"Yeah, I gotta go feed the dog."
"But, Dad, I've got a ring and everything," I said holding my hand out.
(And to tell you the truth what did I mean by "and everything?")
"I said, 'I gotta go feed the dog'," growled my dad.
I've got to tell you my heart broke a little. Had I not been so unbelievably excited and over the top in love, it might have dampened my day. Luckily, there would be no chance to wipe the smile off my face for weeks. At that moment his lack of interest, happiness, or enthusiasm hurt - but just ever so slightly under my joy.
However when I remember this story, it brings tears to my eyes.
"I gotta go feed the dog."
You see, I know my dad. I know my dad loves and adores me. And I know my dad's heart broke a lot more than just a little that day. His baby girl had found the man of her married dreams. There was a new knight in shining armor in my life that I would cling to even more than a little girl clings to her dad. He didn't want anyone to know how much the happiness he prayed for me to have, hurt him. He turned away and hid the tears he wouldn't be able to hide a few months later at our wedding.
My dad could have said like the country song by Heartland does, "I loved her first."
But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But its still hard to give her away
I loved her first
I am blessed. I have a wonderful Daddy. He raised me well and loved me even better, so I knew what kind of man to marry. I knew I needed a man that would earn my respect, an honest man, a man that could make me laugh and wipe away my tears. In Hon, I had found the man that would love me for me, encourage me to be the best I could ever be, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
Hon continues to make my heart go pitter patter and on many occassions a thumpidy-thump-thump. Oh, I love him more and deeper each passing day. And I can only imagine what he'll say the day our daughter gets engaged. I have a feeling - he won't even be able to choke out,
"I gotta go feed the dog."
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