This is a picture of my dad having his hair done by my nieces yesterday. He really is such a good grandpa! It fun to see him enjoy his grandkids so much. Spending Father’s Day with him this year reminded me of a Father’s Day in 1999, when I wasn’t able to be with him…or talk to him.

I was on a mission for my church. I was living in France at the time and Father’s Day was fast approaching. As a missionary, you are on a relatively tight budget, so there wasn’t really money with which I could purchase a Father’s Day gift, and truth be told, my dad is just about the hardest person on the planet to shop for.

Although I did have a credit card with me for emergencies (it was my card, but my dad was paying the bill while I was gone), I didn’t feel right about buying something he didn’t really want, that he would eventually be paying for. So instead of buying something for him, my companion (as a missionary, you always have a companion with you) and I went to lunch and I treated and then I sent my dad a letter that went something like this:

“Dear Dad,

I thought long and hard about what to get you for Father’s Day. After several hours of contemplation, I realized that the best gift I could give you is a happy daughter. So, today, Sister Higginson and I went to lunch and I charged it to the credit card. It was a little expensive, but I figured you would be happy to spend the money, since the most important thing in the world to you is to have happy children and, since we all know that money (especially when purchasing a good meal) truly can buy happiness, I figured that you paying for a good meal for me at a nice restaurant in France was a gift that you would truly appreciate. It was a tough sacrifice to make, but I was happy to do it.

I hope you have a happy Father’s Day!

Love,

Chloe”

He loved it! Not necessarily the part involving him paying for the meal, but the letter itself. He actually took it to work and read it to some of his coworkers. I think it is the only Father’s Day “gift” I can remember giving him. Sad, but true. Not that I haven’t given him other gifts, I just don’t remember them.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! Thanks for being such a good sport.