Father's Day

Well it's here again, good ol' Father's Day, a day to honor your father and lavish gifts on him.
Father's Day has been hard for me in the past, I'd get panic just thinking about what I should get him, is there going to be party where all my siblings act like everything is great in their life, a big fake Sunday afternoon.

But, not this year, this year is different, last year I confronted my father (not on Father's Day of course) But I just had to know so I asked.
"Dad, I am 40 years old, I have been married to the same man for almost 18 years, have two children that I work everyday very hard for, work to communicate with them, care about their education, I am not in jail, I'm not a prostitute, I'd help anyone that would ever ask me, and sometimes see a need and just do it, when are you going to accept me for me?"

You see, my father is a pessimist. Everything is black, everything is wrong, and I could never do anything right in his eyes, at least that was the way I saw it. Before this conversation with him, the man was harassing me about my gardens!!! Are you going to plant flowers this year? Are you going to trim those bushes? Ok, let's see, you can't find anything but my gardens to harass me about??

I had it! So he tried to convince me that he did accept me, but I knew better! He promised he would not say anything else about my life as I must have everything under control. Oh there you go again, being sarcastic and mean!!!

But I must say, my relationship with my father is much better, he is a bit of a bully and I finally stood up to him! When you are able to do this you, you are able to take the power away from these types of people!

Now don't get me wrong, I love my father, my gosh, he is my father! But I am a grown woman, I run a household, I have kept my family together thru some wicked shit and I deserve to be accepted for who I am!

My father is Greek. He loves all the different kinds of Greek food. I just got done putting the mixture together for grape leaves. Somehow I have been nominated to make the grape leaves for any kind of holiday, mostly Christmas. I don't mind, my mom calls me, and asks me, Can you make some grape leaves, you know how much your Dad loves them! I do it happily!
No-one called this week and asked, I figured the man has everything he can every dream of, why not make him his grape leaves and make him smile, he is after all my father.

BTW- he will get his grape leaves, and small box of chocolate (his favorite)
But I skipped the card this year!!! :)