One of my earliest memories of my dad is his laugh. He has one of those contagious kinds of laughs. You know, the kind that makes you giggle even if you don't know what you are giggling about! As a kid, I was always afraid of going to bed at night. Even with 10 stuffed animals in my bed to protect me, the dark scared me. I found so much comfort in going to bed early while my parents were still awake. I would lay there hugging my favorite lion, Leo, listening to my mom and dad talk and laugh until I drifted off to sleep. I felt safe when I heard his laughter.
My dad also taught me a great deal about compassion and love for other people. We always said, "Dad has never met a stranger." I really don't think he has! It never mattered where we would go, he would always strike up a conversation with someone. I can remember going to the mall with Dad would take hours. Not because he would shop that long, necessarily (though he was able to majorly kill time in the tool section at Sears). But we would stop at every store and converse with people all along the journey from one end of the mall to the other. I would sometimes complain about having to wait so long, but to be honest, I enjoyed standing next to my Dad and interjecting my "two cents" when I could. It made me feel grown up!
Dad also showed me what it means to love and be dedicated to family members. My Dad was extremely devoted to his family. Anytime his mom or dad or brother needed him, he would drop everything to help them. He even invited my grandma to live with us after my grandpa died because she had a difficult time living alone. (I guess she found comfort in my Dad's laughter at night too!)
Once, my Dad was grilling steaks on our back deck. He was SO excited about these steaks. My Uncle Joe came over to have my Dad fix a watch band. Dad, being very consumed in helping his brother, completely forgot about his steaks...that is until he saw the smoke! He literally ran through the screen door onto the back porch...put a hole right through the middle. For years after that, we had yellow string threaded through the screen so that Dad would be able to see the door! But I don't recall Dad getting angry about the situation. I only remember laughing... A LOT!
Many people know that Dad loved radios. He was very interested in CB radios. In fact, I was named after one of his CB friends! But what many do not know about my Dad is that he had a dream to move to Cincinnati, OH and become a radio announcer. He worked at a local radio station while dating my Mom, and dreamed of doing radio his entire life. He would have been great at it too! What stopped him? His dedication to family. He saw that his parents needed him and recognized my Mom's desire to be near her family. So, he put aside his dream and raised a family...near family. That takes courage in my opinion.
I think it's my Dad that even stirred a sense of passion for missions in my heart. Remember the commercials that used to come on TV in the 80's about children starving in Ethiopia? Every time we would see those commercials, my Dad would remind me to pray for those children because their needs were so great. Images like that stick with a young heart. I would pray for those kids, as earnestly as I knew how. To this day, my heart breaks for people who are in need.
Dad not only loved people, he loved animals too. He was my partner in crime in helping me convince my mom of allowing pets into our home. My first pet was a blond hamster named Duke. To me, Duke was as good as any dog. I even walked around the block with him on a shoe string leash! I think my Dad secretly loved Duke as much as I did. Once, Duke was sitting on my shoulder and fell off onto the kitchen floor. Crying, I took him to my Dad and he did the unbelievable! He gave CPR to my hamster...and actually revived him! Oh yes! My Dad is a hero! A year later when Duke died, Dad gave him the most rousing eulogy I've ever heard.
Years later, it was my Dad that finally convinced my Mom to let me have a puppy! Going to pick out my new siberian huskey puppy with my Dad is one of my most exciting memories. Nikki and my Dad have many of their own adventures to speak of...but I'll let my Dad be the one to tell you those! :)
Oh, and then there was learning to drive. I never took a driver's ed course. I learned my excellent driving skills from my Dad...but not without a few mishaps! Eager to get behind the wheel at 15, my Dad took me onto Gatewood Road, a curvy and narrow road. I think my Dad's technique for taming my enthusiasm for the open road came in the form of fear. Each time we came to an oncoming car, my Dad would make me pull over onto the side of the road. I was 18 and ready for college before I felt like I could pass another car without asking permission first! After driving on Gatewood Road, I was terrified of oncoming cars and going more than 25 mph. I guess he figured that if I were able to survive Gatewood, then I could probably survive anywhere! But I did get back at him. There was a time when we were driving that I splashed through a deep mud puddle at such speed that my Dad thought he was going to lose his arm on a nearby mailbox. I just looked over at him and smiled and said, "Sorry Dad!".
There was one time that I pulled out in front of another car on the way to church and nearly caused an accident. Completely shaken and in tears, I pulled off the road. I wanted to get out and let him drive the rest of the way, but he did something absolutely wonderful! He wouldn't let me get out of the driver's seat. He made me continue to drive to church. It was such an amazing moment because he proved the depth of his trust in me and helped me to believe in myself. He taught me to never give up, to keep working at it!
There are SO many other things to share, like the sacrifices he made so that I could go on the 8th grade trip to New Orleans with my friends. Even though we did not have the money for such a trip, he worked over time and even provided me with money to buy new clothes to wear on the trip. There is also the time in high school when every one of my girl friends received a special Valentine's Day sucker from a particular boy...except me. I came home crying. My Dad took me out that night for a special dinner and shopping. I think he even bought me chocolate! Or the time in college when I was going through a terrible breakup with a boy. My overprotective father called the young man in his college dorm and told him to leave me alone and stop dragging the break up on and on. I was furious when I found out...but now that I'm a parent, I TOTALLY get it!! And there was the time that he called me the 2nd day of my honeymoon just because he missed me and was thinking of me. :)
My Dad, Robert Lee Bragg, has shaped my life in unbelievable ways! I am so grateful for the myriad of sacrifices he made for me and for the love he has unconditionally showered on me my entire life! I love you, Daddy! Happy 65th Birthday!
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