let me tell you about my #1 fan..papa knowles, father, dad, daddy, Ron, Ronald..all names of my very funny, loving, and accepting dad.
some people say that superman, spiderman, ironman, or hulk are their super heroes..well that is not the case with me. mine is my dad. i really love him so much.
growing up, we went on the boat almost everyday, just me and him. once in awhile, one or a few of my brothers would come with us. but most of the time, it was just us.
>> i remember the first time he let me go out without my lifejacket. i felt so grown up. i was only 6 or 7, but to me, i was beginning to be like a grown up. i didn't need it anymore; i could swim just fine all by myself.
>> i remember the time i hooked, what seemed to be, a huge fish! he started the boat and drove forward, while i tried to reel it in. my little arms couldn't handle the big fish on my own, but he thought i could do it. he had faith in me. he believed in me. and even though i didn't catch the fish, he still loved me and told me it was okay.
these are all small and simple things, but to me, they are my childhood, my memories, my most cherished times. i love my family more than anything and i don't know what i would do without any of them. especially my parents.
the most touching, special, sad, crazy, and intense moment i had with him was sometime in october of 2002.
>> i remember walking through the front room and my dad was sitting on the bench with a few of my brothers. he was drinking a beer. the house was so sad and i never knew what to say. Satch, my brother, had only been dead for a few days/weeks. and my dad called me over and sat me on his lap. he looked at me and told me that i was the only reason he could smile, i was the light in the middle of all this darkness.
as an eight year old, i had no clue what the heck to say. i was barely grasping the fact that my brother was gone. but somehow, that memory has stuck with me this long. i remember it quite often.
^i don't think i've seen a happier picture of either of them
when i was thinking about serving a mission, my dad wasn't upset because it was a "mormon" mission, he wasn't upset for any reason at all. he was happy that i included him in my decision making process. he was happy that i had enough respect to ask him and talk to him about it before i actually made the decision.
that is the kind of father he is. he loves me. so much. and he is proud of me for making good choices, he may not always say it, but he shows it. he is my number one fan. he's been to every piano recital, all of my end of the year ballet recital { he may complain about the price, but he'll always pay extra to sit front row }, he has witness all of my winning catches (talking about fishing and such), he's the first one to tell my if he doesn't like a friend or boyfriend, he always makes sure i'm taken care of, and he won't hesitate to tell me if my shorts are too short, shirt is too low, or if he likes what i'm wearing.
he has taught me that family is everything. it's important to provide for your family. it is important to work together with your family. family. is. everything.
i could not be more proud to call Ronald Louis Knowles my father. no matter what happens, he will always be my number 1 and i know that i will be his.
my dad is the best, he's better than the rest. and there's nothing anyone can do about that.
we sacrifice, forgive, forget, learn to love, learn to trust, and most importantly are there for each other no matter what. we are a family. and that is what really matters.
i would do anything for any of them and it is just such a beautiful thing. God has blessed us all with each other. He knew that despite everything, we could learn to love each other. He placed us all together so we could test each other, and learn from each other. He knows exactly why we're family, and there is a reason for it.
i'm proud to call this crazy bunch my family. they're my life and my heart. no matter what anyone says; they can never take that away from any of us.
xoxo,
jacquelyn
