This is my first Father’s Day without my Dad. He passed in October and I think about him every single day. I miss him. A lot.
Last Father’s Day, he was here, at my house and it was the first Father’s Day in a number of years that we were actually in the same place together. I didn’t realize it then but it was the last Father’s Day I’d ever have with him.
I don’t remember the date but it was sometime last year. My Dad wanted a pair of cowboy boots. I don’t know why. He couldn’t get around much and really didn’t go anywhere anymore. He had had a gorgeous pair of snakeskin boots that never fit him right and I ended up selling them for him.
Dad’s snakeskin cowboy boots
I think he just wanted to own another pair. So I took him down to Cavender’s Boot City here in Austin and I helped him try on a number of different kinds of boots. We didn’t find one pair that he could get his foot into because he had such a high instep and would’ve required custom boots, but I think it just satisfied him that we tried. And he got to shop around and look at all the leather belts and the cowboy hats. We left the store not buying a thing but I know he enjoyed our little adventure out that afternoon.
These pictures were taken back in North Carolina in 2009. My Mom and I were in the car, just about to back out of the driveway and Dad was standing there to see us off. I looked up and just thought he was so cute standing there in his cowboy hat. I grabbed my camera real quick and snapped a few pics through the windshield. I’m so glad I did. These are my favorite four photos of him. I’ve always wondered what he was looking up at in the sky…
And now I look up at him in the sky…
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY DAD!
I love you forever.
You’re always in my heart and
I hope you hear me talking to you and thinking about you every day.
I miss you so much!
Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there!
Angels Bark 
Hi, Michele!
This is a very sweet Father’s Day tribute to your dad. How lucky you are to have these images of him wearing his cowboy hat. I think you were right about that shopping trip for a new pair of boots.
I think your dad just wanted to be in his element, to see, touch and even smell the western wear on display at that bootery. Thank you for sharing memories of a great man, your dad.
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Thanks Tom. He did like his shopping! He loved to go to flea market especially and back in the days when my folks were in better “get-around” health, I used to take them to the big Flea Market here just outside of Austin. He loved to look around. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s where he got those cowboy boots! He loved poking around and looking at things that interested him (like the abundance of tools at the flea market) and the best part of a flea market visit for him was pulling up a seat and watching the Mexican bands play while drinking a few cold beers…
And then we always stopped at the Southside Market & Barbecue for that famous Elgin Sausage! Such a classic place with a lot of rich history: very simple dining: order your sausage and brisket and they bring it to you and lay down a big ol’ piece of brown paper in the middle of the table and put your meat in front of you, along with your sides, onions, pickles, bread and lots of barbecue sauce. No plates here! (They do have quite an interesting history if you want to check it out: https://southsidemarket.com/Our-Story.aspx).
Those were the days… I sure miss them!
Happy Fathers Day to you Tom!
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🙂 I enjoyed your reply, Michele, and appreciated the opportunity to learn more specific things that you remember and loved about your dad. What a wonderful man he was! I also took your advice and visited the Southside Market & Barbecue website and learned about its history. (Read more at SDMM.) Thank you very much, dear friend!
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Your dad sound a lot like mine! He had his cowboy hat as well and I still have his boots. I lost my dad about 35 years ago and I am so sorry he never got a chance to meet my husband or our children. I still miss him too. Hugs to you Michele. The first one is the hardest.
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Thanks so much Janet. I guess you never get over losing a parent. I’m sorry that your Dad didn’t get to meet your husband or your children either. But he knows them. He’s been with your family all along. 🙂
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How well I remember my first Father’s Day without my dad. It was a tough day, so you have my sympathy. Your dad looked good in his cowboy hat. He was a handsome gentleman.
Love,
Janie
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Thanks Janie. Yeah, he was certainly a looker! Definitely a man’s man. Hard working,, soft spoken, a genuinely good man all the way around. I sure do miss him…
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Beautiful tribute to you dad Michele and so glad that you have those memories and pictures to reminisce with. I know they’re not the same as having your dad – it’s over ten years since my dad died and whilst I still find certain dates challenging, I also find it easier to think about him without being too sad.
Be extra kind to yourself this week.
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Thanks Pamela. Yeah, having the pictures is great. I have his face towel too that I haven’t washed yet because it still smells like him. He always smelled so good. So every time I walk past the towel, I pick it up, put it to my face, take a good whiff and tell Dad how much I miss him…
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I have a pair of snake skin cowboy boots very similar to those in my closet. Belonged to my cousin and passed down to my grandson who never wore them! Such amazing pictures of your dad. I know you cherish them. So hard once they are gone. But, yes, I believe he hears you everyday!!
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Thanks Paula. I believe that my Dad hears me too. I know my Mom talks to his picture every day. My Mom cooked for my Dad every single day…and she absolutely HATED cooking! Hated it with a passion. Every day she bitched to me about having to be in the kitchen. But Dad was a meat and potatoes kind of guy who loved to eat! Then when my Dad died, she put a framed picture of him on the stove because she isn’t going to be do any cooking anymore! She she talks to him every day there in the kitchen… 🙂
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This was an exceptionally nice tribute to your Dad, MICHELE.
If you could pick only one or two, what song(s) would you say you MOST associate with your Dad?
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews…
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What a sweet story! My mom passed away last July, and I felt like you did on Mother’s Day. My dad and I spend a lot of time together now, and I’m enjoying it so very much!
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Thanks Dyanne! I’m so sorry about your mom. So glad to hear that you and your dad are spending a lot of quality time together. Cherish every minute, as I’m sure you do!
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