What Makes a Dad?

Have you seen Bad Boys 2? If you haven't seen the first or second movie, you should, because they're great.

Anyway, there is a specific part in this movie that I've always thought was hilarious. I could try to describe this scene to you, but honestly, any writer wouldn't be able to do it justice. Well, except for the people who wrote the original script. Instead, I'll get you to watch the video below.

The Dad, Marcus, is the typical (slightly over-dramatic, I'll admit) overprotective Dad scaring his daughter's boyfriend before their first date. I was thirteen when this movie came out, and I always thought that most Dads were like this, but I had no idea what a loving Dad was. I did, however, know what a drug-addicted, abusive and eventually absent father was.

Don't worry, the story gets happier.

My Mom escaped that relationship with nothing but me and whatever would fit into a suitcase or two. After two or three court-ordered visits, he disappeared completely. The last time I saw him, he promised he would write me. Even though I was just over three years old, literally every time we got the mail, I insisted that I was the one who got it, just in case he sent me something. This went on for years, but the letters never came.

I carried this need to be the one to check the mail into adulthood. As time passed, it got to the point where I had no idea why I was like this. That was until my then-boyfriend (now husband), Andrew, asked me why I always insisted that I was the one who got the mail. Then it all came rushing back. I hadn't realized that something so trivial could affect me for so long.

Before I go on, I know I'm not alone here. And if you've had an absent Dad too, "heart" this story.

On one of the days Andrew and I were hanging out, we went to Walmart to get some groceries for dinner that night (burgers on the BBQ). I realized we forgot to get the burger buns, so I quickly ran off to get them because we were next in line.

As I approached the checkout, I saw some people chatting with Andrew. I had a feeling that it was his parents before I even got there. Of course, that was the day I decided to go to Walmart with my hair in a messy bun, no makeup and wearing workout clothes; it was not a good look.

Yup, I was right. It was his parents, and I looked like garbage.

They obviously didn't care what I looked like and invited us to join them for dinner at the Santa Fe restaurant. At first, I was super nervous, but not even halfway through the dinner, I realized I didn't need to be. We were cracking jokes and laughing throughout the dinner. Andrew's step-mom and I even bonded over "accidentially" putting a cute tiny bowl in the take-home container.

I didn't want to fangirl, but I thought his Dad, Rob, was SO COOL!

Over time, my admiration for Rob grew more and more. Andrew and I would be at their house for dinner and I would literally just sit in awe listening to his stories, looking like this:

In 2016 we found out that Andrew had a brain tumour. He and I had only been dating for nine months at that point, but instead of it pushing us apart, it only made our relationship stronger. He had one surgery in May, and in December, he had two more.

Andrew's third surgery was unexpected and caused him to stay in the hospital through Christmas. Not wanting him to be alone, Rob and I stayed in Ottawa (where Andrew's hospital was) for a few days. We decorated Andrew's hospital room, had cinnamon buns for breakfast, and opened presents.

For our Christmas dinner, Rob and I went to a Chinese restaurant, YangMing, with an all-you-can-eat buffet; it was the best Chinese food I've ever had! At the end of the meal, the servers brought us a calendar for the upcoming year.

After paying, Rob and I headed out to the truck. I offered to give him the calendar, but he politely declined and said that I could keep it, "it can be a souvenir of your first Christmas with a Dad that loves you." Thankfully it was dark out because I silently cried the whole drive back to the hotel. To this day, I don't think he realizes how much that meant to me.

As the years passed, my admiration of Rob only grew. He's a man that loves his family and would do anything for them, a veteran who has accomplished many things in his career, an amazing cook, hilarious, brave, and so much more. Even now, if he tells me he's proud of me, I tear up because I now have a Dad who loves me enough to be proud of me.

Rob Weathers is the Dad I've always dreamed of and more. He is my hero.

To answer the question in the title of this story, I'll share a saying I've seen on a coffee mug somewhere. "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." While this is true, I can make it better and more accurate. "Any man can be a father, and it takes someone special to be a dad. But no quality of man could ever compare to a Dad like Rob Weathers."

I know you're going to read this Rob, so I just want to say how much you've changed my life for the better. You mean the world to me, and I'm so lucky to be a part of your family.

I love you, Dad.