Dear Dad….an open letter

I meant to write this open letter to my Dad on Sunday in honour of Fathers’ Day, but we were too busy enjoying Fathers’ Day all together. Then Tara from Sticky Fingers offered up the subject of “Dad” for this week’s gallery, so this blog post is in honour of my amazing dad.

Dear Dad,

I suppose this letter is a thank you really. A thank you for all the things you’ve done for me, big or small, over the last 37 and a bit years. I’m not going to list them here as that could (would) go on forever, so here are what are for me the main ones:

Thank you for being a fantastic dad – you were strict but not too strict when I was growing up, so I never felt like I had to lie to you about what I was doing, but I had clear boundaries too. You helped me out just enough financially, so I was never totally stuck but so that I knew the value of money – getting my first part-time job aged 14, and paying you back various loans over the years.

Thank you for being the font of all knowledge. Despite studying maths at Oxford (many moons ago), you somehow know everything about anything, be it science, maths, history, geography, the English language, Latin, music and more. Now you’re retired you should really think about taking up quiz shows and pub quizes as a little money-spinner 😉

Thank you for being a DIY god, and for helping Hubs build our swimming pool in France when I was pregnant with L, and for all the DIY builds and fixes you’ve done for me over the years!

Thank you for what you did for me/us on our wedding day. There are very few dads who would do their speech in English and in French when they barely speak the language, in front of 120 people (more than half of whom you don’t know), when you’re naturally a shy person (a trait you totally didn’t pass on to me!). As if that weren’t enough, thank you also for singing Louis Armstrong’s “What a wonderful world” for Hubs and me to dance to as our first dance.

Even when you’re being completely pedantic and I tease you for being Victor Meldrew, you’re still the best dad ever and I’m so lucky to have you, and to be living near you and Mum again.

Thank you ,finally, for being the best Grandpa to my two girls, and for being a second dad to Hubs.

Lots of love,
Your pain in the a*se middle child,
Sophie

I love this picture that I took of you and L this Fathers’ Day, just after you’d explained to her the Greenwich Meridian Line and you were teasing her about brushing her hair with your beard 🙂

Dad and L in Greenwich

If you want to see other photos on the subject of Dad, pop on over to this week’s gallery on the Sticky Fingers blog below.

TheGallery

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24 Responses

  1. Notmyyearoff says:

    Awe wow what an amazing Dad. Doing your wedding speech in French as well is really impressive. He sounds like a really intelligent and nurturing dad. Very lovely photo too 🙂

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      He is pretty amazing! I still can’t believe he did his speech in French too – the things I put him through! I love this photo so much, it was such a lovely moment on Sunday 🙂

  2. Emma says:

    Love the photo, and what a beautiful letter! 🙂

  3. Lovely. So lucky to still have him around, so treasure it!
    I’ve joined you up to my nostalgia Linky this week which also happens to be a ‘Dear Dad’ topic…. Funny, I mentioned that mine want the font of all knowledge too!

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      I do feel so lucky – at my age so many of my friends have already lost their dads, so I do treasure the time I have with him. Thanks for adding me to your linky, I’ll go and look at that.

  4. Tara says:

    I LOVE this. Your dad sounds aces. I love it when they are the font of all knowledge and when your own kids sit there and listen to them in awe.

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Thanks! There is something so amazing watching your parents interact with your own kids, I love it.

  5. What a lovely post, he sounds like a really amazing man, especially your wedding speech and song! I was very grateful for a second bite of the ‘Dad’ cherry with this week’s Gallery too.

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      He really is great. I’ll have to dig out the wedding speech and first song/dance to post on here as they’re pretty amazing. I’m glad Tara gave us that second chance this week!

  6. jo says:

    You’re right – a one in a million. When so many men seem to get a bad press, it’s heart-warming to read this. Lucky, lucky you!

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      I am so very lucky, he is definitely one in a million, and I’m even luckier still as Hubs is another one in another million!

  7. He sounds like the kind of Man that would do absolutely anything for his kids, that’s so very special.

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      He certainly is, and it is so incredibly special. I am so lucky to have such great parents 🙂

  8. Gorgeous photo and beautiful letter – I love that he sang at your wedding, how wonderful. #TheGallery

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Thanks! I loved that too – something that started as a joke turned into one of the best moments of our wedding day 🙂

  9. Jaime Oliver says:

    what a really beautiful tribute 🙂

  10. MummaG says:

    Lovely post, your dad sounds fab! Singing at your wedding is such a lovely gesture and a wonderful memory to cherish forever, really lovely x

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Thanks. He really is and his singing at our wedding was just amazing 🙂

  1. 12/04/2014

    […] the past I’ve written letters to those close to me on my blog – my mum, my dad, Hubs, my 7 year old, L, and my nearly 17 month old, C. I hope to let them know how loved they are […]

  2. 19/03/2016

    […] Dear Dad….an open letter. […]

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