"Daddy's Little Girl"
I have the typical American family. A dad who works all day, a mom that strives to make her family happy, a daughter (me) that complains and works her ass off in school, and a son that is only 14 and could care less about school. For the next two days, my mom and my brother are away on work and school trips; My mom is in Indianapolis and my brother is in Savannah for his 8th Grade Trip. So, it is just my dad and me until Friday night. My dad and I are very close. With a common love of history, Bruce Springsteen, The Georgia Bulldawgs, and Judaism, we have an inseparable bond.
My parents thought they were going to have a first born son. As written in my baby memorabilia book, they were prepared to name me "Joseph Robert" with a nickname of "Joe Bob". So either way, I would have been Joey or Zoe. I was my dad's sweet little angel with dark brown curly hair and big green eyes who always wanted to watch "The Lion King". One of my favorite home videos that I have ever watched was of my dad and I on top of Stone Mountain when I was about two years old.
"Zoe, what are we going to do when we get home?", he said.
"Watch the Lion King, Daddy!"
"But we've seen it so many times. How about The Hunchback of Notre Dame?"
"How about just a little bit of Lion King?", I asked as I held up two fingers, imitating something small.
The conversation continued that way, and I kept asking for just a "wittle" bit of Lion King. I was just as demanding as I am today. Now, however, my dad freely tells me that I have a wicked, sarcastic tongue. It's okay though, because by the end of the day, I know he loves me and he is my favorite boy the the entire world.
There is that classic story of fathers hating any boy that their daughters date. My dad, standing at 6'0 and around 200lbs, could be considered intimidating to boys that have never met him before. He will give a strong handshake, and say "Hey, Steve Falkenstein, nice to meet you." He really isn't that scary-unless the topic of driving is brought up. Being in charge of insurance at Classic Collision body shops in Atlanta, he has seen every sort of accident and car totals. From Hurricane Katrina destruction to an overturned ambulance, driving is his number one concern when I go out anywhere. He is my protector and is always the first person I call when anything goes wrong. I have many friends who have lost their fathers due to cancer or other illnesses. This just makes me realized how fortunate I am to have him with me.
I'm excited for these next two days with my dad. No matter what, he is the only boy that will always be there for me.
My parents thought they were going to have a first born son. As written in my baby memorabilia book, they were prepared to name me "Joseph Robert" with a nickname of "Joe Bob". So either way, I would have been Joey or Zoe. I was my dad's sweet little angel with dark brown curly hair and big green eyes who always wanted to watch "The Lion King". One of my favorite home videos that I have ever watched was of my dad and I on top of Stone Mountain when I was about two years old.
"Zoe, what are we going to do when we get home?", he said.
"Watch the Lion King, Daddy!"
"But we've seen it so many times. How about The Hunchback of Notre Dame?"
"How about just a little bit of Lion King?", I asked as I held up two fingers, imitating something small.
The conversation continued that way, and I kept asking for just a "wittle" bit of Lion King. I was just as demanding as I am today. Now, however, my dad freely tells me that I have a wicked, sarcastic tongue. It's okay though, because by the end of the day, I know he loves me and he is my favorite boy the the entire world.
There is that classic story of fathers hating any boy that their daughters date. My dad, standing at 6'0 and around 200lbs, could be considered intimidating to boys that have never met him before. He will give a strong handshake, and say "Hey, Steve Falkenstein, nice to meet you." He really isn't that scary-unless the topic of driving is brought up. Being in charge of insurance at Classic Collision body shops in Atlanta, he has seen every sort of accident and car totals. From Hurricane Katrina destruction to an overturned ambulance, driving is his number one concern when I go out anywhere. He is my protector and is always the first person I call when anything goes wrong. I have many friends who have lost their fathers due to cancer or other illnesses. This just makes me realized how fortunate I am to have him with me.
I'm excited for these next two days with my dad. No matter what, he is the only boy that will always be there for me.
My dad and I at my brother's bar mitzvah party in Jerusalem.
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