Tangled

My mom used to describe my hair as a rat’s nest.

She wasn’t wrong. My hair tangled easily into knots.

To add insult to injury, I could also be described as a tender-headed little girl. It didn’t take much pulling against the tangles in my hair to bring about cries and tears of anguish.

Throughout my childhood, I wished for my hair to be long and curly. My mother kept it cut short. No doubt, this was to keep both the tangles and the tears under control!

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This morning I woke up sad.

As I moped over my coffee, Jon asked me what was wrong. I didn’t know.

Later, we worked in the yard. I didn’t want to talk or interact. My spirit felt as dry as the ground where the weeds were growing.

After mulching and lunch, we sat in the patio rockers, watching birds. Jon said, “You miss your Daddy, don’t you?” The hard knot in my throat threatened to crack open.

We are approaching the seventh anniversary of my father’s passing. It should not be this hard. Father’s Day shouldn’t bring me to my knees. I don’t remember feeling this sad last year on Father’s Day.

But this year … I’m just sad. I miss my dad

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I remember my head hurt. My wet hair was full of tangles. My mother had been working on brushing out the knots. I think my tears had her frustrated. She probably wanted to send me straight to bed, tangles and all. But she knew if she did, the mess would only be worse in the morning.

I don’t know why, but somehow my mother stepped to the side and my father took over combing out my wet, knotted hair. He worked slowly and gently, from the bottom up. The tangles seemed to fall away under the magic of my father’s gentle combing.

I think that was the moment I became a Daddy’s girl.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When my dad died, my brother suggested we put the following verse on his grave marker:

The righteous man will be remembered forever.

Psalm 112:6

Of all the things I could tell you about my dad, my favorite is that he was a righteous man who loved Jesus.

He was funny, kind, positive, loyal and gentle. He was devoted to his family. And he is remembered for the wonderful person he was.