Happy Father's Day

Undoubtedly, I have the greatest father in the world.

I've always known this. When I was born, Daddy always tells me about how he sang the Doxology the first time he held me. Next he created a song just for me - "Sara Beth Lives in a Tree House." Still a personal favorite of mine. :)

When Roecker was born, he was a colicky baby, and Daddy ended up taking me to work with him a lot. He would let me "type" away at a computer at the newspaper, and he took me to Tuscaloosa for football practices when he was the beat writer for Alabama. Because of Daddy, Gene Stallings gave me my first bag of Cheetos!  And Daddy encouraged my love for Alabama gymnastics. Many Friday nights, he would let me tag along to the meet, where I would sit with some of his friends and he would keep an eye on me from the press row on the floor. Sarah Patterson would send me a poster of all the gymnasts that they had autographed.

I may not have developed Daddy's love for sports, but we had many other things in common, particularly singing. Daddy and I would go to the grocery store together a lot, just the two of us. We'd listen to music on the way there, we'd do our shopping, and then I'd have my "grocery cart races" before getting into the car. I loved those times when it was just me and Daddy. He taught me so many things about life and God. Plus he and I are just similar enough that we think the same way about a lot of things, have the same thought processes. Sometimes its actually a little freaky.

As I got older, Daddy and I could talk about more mature things, particularly our faith. If Daddy reads something interesting, we sometimes have these long discussions about it. I love those. When I'm at school, Daddy will write me "long rambling missives," as he calls them, either via email or snail mail (those are the best!). I save every one because they are so precious to me. And Daddy is one of my favorite people to text, because he'll say the funniest and most encouraging things.

In the last eight weeks, I've seen Daddy in a new way. I've always admired him, how he loves Mama and our family, how he provides for us on so many levels. But in the last eight weeks, Daddy has taken on a role that he probably never imagined he would. He has been husband, father, friend, counselor, writer, media relations-guy, protector, encourager. I have come to appreciate him in such a different way. Sometimes I get frustrated when he doesn't do things the way I think they should (oops...), but more than anything I am overwhelmed by how Daddy trusts God first and foremost.

Daddy,  I'm so very thankful for you. Your quirky sense of humor, your sometimes corny jokes, your encouragement, all mean so much to me. I cherish our conversations about God and family and government and social issues and life. I'm thankful for most of the ways we are similar, because its nice to be able to share ideas with someone who understands in that special way. I'm so blessed to have you as my father. I truly thank God that He chose you to be my daddy. I love you very much.