One Sweet Memory

About ten years ago give or take a few months I was lying in a hospital bed in the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Weirdly enough what should have been one of the most miserable experiences of my life . . . actually holds some of my sweetest memories. I had some pains it's true, but I also had so much support from friends, family, and ward members. For the two weeks I was there, I hardly ever was alone. In fact it was kind of nice because I had never had so much "male" attention before . . . ever! All sorts of guys from my singles ward and from school were paying me visits. I was in heaven. Well there was this boy from my work that I thought was pretty cute. His name was Wes. And one night while I was in the hospital he came to pay me a visit. When he came to my room my Dad was in the middle of reading the novel Borne Identity to me. When Wes came in my Dad took a break and let him visit with me. Later after I had recovered and returned to work my boss had me come into her office and began to tell me what an effect that visit had on Wes who had since then left to California. She said that he was so impressed and amazed that my father would actually sit and read a book to me like that. He thought it was the neatest thing ever. And until then I didn't really realize that that isn't something that all Dads would do. But that is my Dad. I am so blessed with memory upon memory of my Dad telling me stories, teaching me gospel principles, playing games, and hiking with me. We would go on hikes up Rock Canyon and he would entertain me by telling me about the current books he was reading. And he could tell me the stories better than the author himself probably could. He was certainly not an absentee father. He has shaped so much of who I am, and I am grateful to him for it. I love you Dad. Happy Father's Day.