I am my father's daughter!

When I was growing up, most of the television sitcoms portrayed the idea of the "perfect" father. Dr Huxtable  from the Cosby Show was definitely the epitome. He was the most understanding father, extremely supportive and never ran out of hugs and kisses for all his children, especially Rudi. When his children did the wrong thing, he would commiserate, sometimes punish, with so much love and understanding.

As a child, television media definitely shaped my perception as I always wondered why my Dad was not like Dr Huxtable. Instead, my Dad never minced with his words. He was quite blatant and extremely direct. He  constantly reminded us of the impact that our choices made, how important it is to be considerate of others (especially when you are driving! We dared never to stop in the middle of the road to try and work out where to go, especially when someone is right on our tail!), and how important it is to do your homework and  to practice if you want to excel in something especially sports. If we did not succeed in something we participated in, there were reasons why. Maybe I did not study hard enough or maybe I did not practice hard enough. He constantly reminded me that I needed to be perceptive - always think ahead.  The phrase "life is how you make it" constantly came out of his mouth.

As I grew up, I began to understand my father. I started to understand his ways and started to respect them. I learned that he was just trying to do his best by us and was teaching us to become thoughtful and perceptive human beings. He did not wrap us in cotton wool because he wanted us to learn what life is really like. To him, life is not seen through rose coloured glasses but with the reality and truthfulness. I realised that he was imparting his street smarts with us and was teaching us how to make decisions. A life skill not everyone learns.

As I grow older, I see so much of my father in me. I have his blatantness. I see that my life is hugely because of the choices that I make and yes I live by the same philosophy he has. Life is  how you make it.

This weekend, I was once again reminded of how much I am like him.

We drove up to the Hunter Valley on Saturday with my Mum and brothers family. The Hunter Valley Gardens has created a pseudo snow environment  for the children.  Tim was the designated driver and I was the designated music handler and children minder. Now I have driven to the Hunter several times but given that I am a "need to know" type of person, I often do not remember which exit to take. I also usually rely on the signs indicating which exit to take. Driving up, we did not see our usual markers. Tim and I second guessed ourselves with the right exit because we were looking for our signs instead.  We kept driving further. We drove a bit further until we both finally realised that we were getting further and further.  We had to take a detour which set us back by about 20 minutes. Eventually, we got there.

Interestingly enough, this set back irritated me. If my Dad was driving with us, I knew that he would not have relied on looking out for signs. Instead, he would have pulled out his beloved Street Directory Map (yes, he still does not use a GPS) prior to the journey to make sure he knows exactly what road and which exit to take. He was not going to rely on signs which may or may not be there. My Dad would have done his homework. I can assure you that the next time Tim and I set off somewhere, I will be looking up my Map (Googlemaps for me) to know exactly where to go.

So dear Dad, in as much as I probably did not listen to you when I was younger and hated that you were not even remotely like Dr Huxtable, please know that I have the lessons that you have taught me and continue to teach. I may have my mother's zest for life and adventure (and bargain hunting) but I definitely have your groundedness and life skills. I am definitely your daughter, and not just because I look like you.