Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day!

I have learned many wonderful things from my Dad.

 My Dad taught me how to drive a boat when I was about nine years old.
 Driving the boat wasn't the only lesson I learned on that memorable day.

 My family had a cabin on Lake Altoona, Ga. with a boat house that sat on the edge of the lake.
 One beautiful Sunday morning, the family was having breakfast and my dad asked me if I would like to learn how to drive the boat today. With a big smile I replied,"Yes!" 

 We ate our breakfast and out the screen door of the cabin we went.
 I heard the door slam behind me as I ran down the hill to the boat house.
 I could hear my dad saying behind me, "Slow down now, the boat is not a toy."
 Now something you should know about my dad, he is a wise man, he is also very quiet
so when my Dad spoke I hung on his every word.( I still do today.)

Dad and I entered the boat house. Each of us got into the boat.
" Ginny", he said," You always want to make sure your boat is in neutral before you start the engine.
Then you can start the engine. Once you know your boat it going to start then and only then do you untie the boat. Do you understand?" I said," Yes sir."
 Once Dad knew I was ready to move on to the next step of boating he carefully pulled the boat out of the boat house. While we were pulling out I started asking him questions. I wanted to know what everything
was and what it could do. Dad very patiently explained what each thing on the boat did.
He was very proud of his new depth sounder. Once we got out onto the lake he showed me how it worked. It was amazing, we could see so many fish swimming underneath us.

After a while it was time for me to take the wheel. The lake water was calm and still,
the perfect time the learn how to drive a boat. Dad  taught me how to be observant of everything around me while on the water. He told me to watch for signs and what each sign meant.
We drove all over the lake that day. I was so excited to be with my Dad driving his boat.
You know how we all have special moments, Dad looked at me with that grin
that only a Dad can give his daughter and said, "Your handling the boat pretty well."
 We enjoyed the boat ride a little longer and I got a little more confident of my boating skills.

 When it was time to head back to the cabin I started to hand Dad back the wheel, he said,
" You can do it, just take your time."I could not believe my dad had so much confidence in me.
 "Really Dad!"
 While pulling into our boat house I was not  paying attention like I should have ( I  think I was overwhelmed, after all, I did just drive my Dads boat and now I was docking),
I was so excited, my hand hit my dad's brand new depth finder
 (you know the one he was so proud of) and I knocked off one of the knobs.
I was so upset and thinking to myself," I have just ruined a wonderful day with my dad". 

Do you know what, my dad never yelled at me or raised his voice.
We looked at each other both seeing in one another's eyes the shock of what had just happened.
 Dad said, "Don't worry about it , it was an accident".
 I looked at him and said" I'm so sorry Dad" and he said," We just had a great day.
 You learned how to drive a boat!"

He put his arm around me and off we went to tell the rest of the family about our day.

My dad never replaced or fixed the depth finder on that boat.
He never said one thing about it again. He didn't have to say a word
 because whenever I looked at that depth finder it reminded me of how careful
one must be while on a boat.
 My dad thought me that stuff is just that stuff and moments are to be cherished.

Happy Fathers Day!