Daddy's Girls

Big Princess and her Daddy

As Father's Day approaches, I find my mind teased with favorite memories of growing up as Daddy's Princess. When my little sister Natalie was born 14 years later, she became Little Princess, and I had the dubious honor of being Big Princess. Let that sink in. LOL.

Apparently, on the Howdy Doody show, the Indian princess was Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring. Daddy called me that when I was a baby, and occasionally, his Princess of All Seasons. Natalie only seems to remember those nicknames; feigning great jealousy that she was simply "Little Princess." The truth remains: we were Daddy's girls, and we miss him fiercely.

Daddy's Girls, Denise and Natalie

I try not to cry when I remember him; he would hate that, but my eyes sting, and my throat gets tight. I just never wanted him to leave so soon. If I were honest, even if I lived to be 80, and he had lived to 106, it wouldn't have been long enough for me.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a Skype request from Bridger. As we visited, he asked me about the DVD my brother Danny made of Daddy recounting his childhood memories during one of our vacations at Myrtle Beach.  Bridge was missing Granddaddy, and wanted to watch the movie. I promised to figure out how to share it with him, but worried, in the back of my mind, how it would affect me to hear and see him once again.

Roger & Carol Ann Beidler

I shouldn't have worried. Dad was a great storyteller, and I loved every minute of seeing him on my computer screen, listening to the well-known stories at the kitchen table in our vacation house in Myrtle Beach. He recounted his memories as a young boy in Germany, as a teenager who was involved in a lot of pranks in high school, and he told my favorite story of his about riding in the back seat of his dad's car with his sister Carol Ann and her cat. 

Roger & Carol Ann

Granddaddy Beidler, MY granddaddy, had told Carol Ann she could take the cat along for a car ride, but she was to leave the cat IN the box, no peeking. Of course, my Aunt Carol had to check on her kitty, and when she did, the cat looked out the window, seeing the landscape whizzing by, and promptly threw up. Then Carol Ann threw up on the cat. Then Granddaddy had a big mess to clean up. Watching my dad tell that story with a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face made me happy, not sad.

Thank you for so many good memories, Dad. Your princes and princesses miss you so much, but we were lucky to have you as long as we did.

Big Princess and Little Princess