Pages

My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipe Sites

Blog Archive

Blog Search
Trying To Stay Calm
Powered by Blogger.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

"To A Sleeping Beauty....."

I love my dad! He is a manly-man. A great camper and fisherman.  He's a die-hard University of Utah Football fan.  When I was growing up I loved the fact that my dad got to go to work in jeans and t-shirts.  The up-ity people in our neighborhood thought that he didn't have a real job because he didn't wear a suit to work.  Apparently making sure that the residents in the city had good, clean, delicious drinking water or being a firefighter for 21 years wasn't a real job.  What are those people doing now? Still working? Um my dad was able to retire at 53 years old - he has a great retirement job -- yeah he still gets to wear jeans....





Matt and I were talking the other day about "Girls Camp". Girls Camp is an important part of the youth program in the LDS Church. Girls ages 12-17 are encouraged to go. Ours was in the mountains above a small farming town. It was up the hill from a well known polygamist family that was pretty much bad news!! (No LDS/Mormons are not polygamists) A few times my dad came up to be our Priesthood leader - basically a man to watch over us and to help keep us safe. It was a lot of fun to have my dad there.  He was always willing to join in the fun and helped the older girls prank the younger girls.



My first year of camp, when I was 12,  he didn't come up. That year the leaders had the dads write a letter to their daughters and they were given to us one night. My dad is not a man of words. He hates talking on the phone and I am sure that writing a letter was not easy for him. I wish I still had that letter. I have no idea what happened to it.



In the letter I do know that my dad referenced this song/poem.  He talked about this song a lot when I was growing up.  We used to have it on a record album.



TO A SLEEPING BEAUTY

Recorded by Jimmy Dean

Written by L. Markes



Dear daughter, I tiptoed in your room tonight and I looked down at

you smilin' in your sleep. You were so lovely my heart nearly broke;

and I thought how much like Sleeping Beauty a little girl is. When I

tuck you in at night I never know how old you'll be when you wake. One

evening you crawl on your dad's lap and throw your arms around his neck,

the next morning you might be much too grown up for that sort of thing.



You're so quickly approaching the awkward age, too young to drive the

car and yet too old to be carried in the house half asleep on daddy's

shoulder. I have a secret that I've never told you, Sleeping Beauty,

you're going on a very exciting trip. You'll travel from yesterday all

the way to tomorrow. It's a rapid journey and you'll travel light,

leaving behind you - measles, mumps, freckles, bumps, bubble gum and me.



I promise not to feel too hurt when you discover that the world is more

important than your daddy's lap. Yesterday you were blue jeans and pig tails,

the neighborhood's best tree climber. Tomorrow you'll be blue organdy and

pony tails and you'll view the world from a loftier perch - a pair of high

heel shoes.



Yesterday you could mend a doll's broken leg with a hug; tomorrow you'll

be able to break a young man's heart with a kiss. Humh! Humh! Yesterday you

could get lost one aisle away from me at a supermarket - now I have to worry

about losing you down another aisle to some strange young man. You see,

just at the point where you're growing pains stop, mine begins. Yesterday

you were kind of a pain in the neck when you were around, tomorrow you'll

be an ache in my heart when your not.



Tomorrow you'll lay aside your jump rope and tie up the telephone lines

and that little boy that used to push you in the mud; well, he'll fight to

sit out a dance with you. The clock is countin' the minutes for you and the

sky upstairs is savin' its' brighest stars; - and the sun is waitin' with

its' shiniest day.



Oh I, I can't expect you to live in a doll house forever. Sooner or later,

the butterfly sheds it's cocoon and the smallest bird must try its wings.

But when you grow up and out of my arms; when you finally get too big for my

shirts, I'll still recall how you used to scatter dust and dolls and partially

through ev'ry room in the house; but you spread sunshine too. The dust is

settled, your mom picked up the dolls; - but the sunshine will always fill

the corners of our hearts.



So, here I am talking in your sleep, because, well if you saw this look on

my face, you'd laugh and if I spoke with this lump in my throat, I'd cry.

Yea! honey when I looked at you tonight you were a Sleeping Beauty. So, I

tiptoed over and I kissed you - you didn't wake up, I knew you wouldn't.

According to the legend only the handsome young prince can open your eyes

and I'm just the father of the future bride.



So you sleep on pretty thing, tomorrow you'll wake and you'll be a young

lady and you won't even realize that you've changed courses in the middle

of a dream. But you might notice a little change in me; I'll look a little

different somehow. A little sadder, a little wiser, but a whole lot richer.

Tonight, I kissed a princess and I feel like a king.




If you want to hear the recording of this follow this link







61 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is sooo sweet! I love it!

Nonnas News said...

What a sweet tribute to your dad!

Nicole said...

That is so sweet! I think you should type if up nice and have it framed. What a sweet dad you must have!

Heather said...

That is the sweetest thing!!!

Anonymous said...

I totally love those lyrics! You're very lucky to have a dad that has always been so good to you.

Congrats on being a SITS girl!

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

Oh, that is the sweetest thing.
Congrats on your SITS feature!

Buttons and Dots Photography said...

Congratulations on your Sis feature. Enjoy the love!

ugagirl30 said...

The bond between father and daughter is irreplacable. I'm so glad that your dad wrote you a letter and thanks for sharing that wonderful song.

In all of our lives (there were 5 of us girls), my dad never bought us anything. Everything we got was because my mom bought it. But one year while working, for about my tenth birthday, he brought me home a locket. It was awesome. I still have it and actually freaked out the other day when my 4yo approached me wearing it. I was so afraid it would get broken.

wendy said...

That's very sweet. Congrats again on the SITS feature.

Rachelle Lynne said...

That is a sweet song.

Caroline said...

That gave me goosebumps it was so sweet!

Goosebumps - why are they called that? I figured you might know.

Kathi Roach said...

That is very sweet.

Jaime said...

Congrats on being the SITS girl for the day!

That was very sweet! *sniff*

Amy said...

Nothing like Daddy's Little Girl!

Jodi said...

How sweet!!

Melanie Dickens said...

Too sweet. Dad's are the best!!

Angie's Spot said...

That is beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing!

Lori said...

WOW. I'm going to have to keep a copy of those lyrics. Beautiful.

Creative Junkie said...

your dad sounds wonderful!

Christine said...

I remember that song.

Party of 5 said...

That is beautiful.

Party of 5 said...

That is beautiful.

Threeundertwo said...

I love that!

Peggy said...

Very sweet! I'm a Daddy's Girl, too.

mrsmouthy said...

That explains why you seem to be such a happy, loving person today. :)

Amy said...

AWWW..how sweet!

Nik said...

That's just too sweet...thanks for sharing.

Swirl Girl said...

I was a daddy's girl, too.
Sweet!

Casey's trio said...

What beautiful words in the song...sounds like your dad is one in a million!

Jenni said...

I think the daddy/daughter bond is really special. That song is beautiful.

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

awwww that is so sweet! The lyrics to that song are perfect.

sassy stephanie said...

you made me cry!!

Karen said...

This is so sweet, I will show it to my husband. We have 3 girls!

Stephanie said...

I just about started crying while I was reading that, while my little 3-year-old daughter was running cheerfully around the living room with her toy dog, because she always runs in circles around the room when there's music playing.

Blog said...

So Sweet!

Unknown said...

How sweet, and a wonderful tribute to your dad.
Enjoy the SITS love.

Jules said...

Awwww..... so very sweet!

Unknown said...

Beautiful lyrics!!!

Love hat photo of your Dad !!! :-)

EmmaP said...

I love GIRLS CAMP!!!!!!!!!
My mom was the stake camp director for years, and so, naturally my dad was one of the priesthood leaders. He was also our camp cook. He made the best breakfasts ever!!! I was remembering all of those sweet memories - tender mercies - as i was the camp director this year.

Again - thanks for sharing!!!

j said...

Just SO sweet. Sounds like you have a alot of love and respect for your Dad!

Be blessed.

Jen

♥ Becky ♥ said...

How very sweet. You are very lucky to have a father in your life that loves and cares for you so much.

AJ @ A Little Bit Nutty said...

That was so sweet. It brought tears to my eyes reading it.

Congrats again!

Judy Schwartz Haley | CoffeeJitters.Net said...

Awwww... that is so sweet

-Bridget said...

That was beautiful...the song and the post.

Anonymous said...

ugh. dad/daughter stuff always makes me cry. i love my daddy.

Jen said...

Great tibute to you dad. He sounds awesome!

Live.Love.Eat said...

Too sweet for words.

Alison said...

Awwww...the love of a father for a daughter is so sweet and precious. Your dad sounds like a wonderful man.

Em Edwards said...

What a treasure to have received that when you were 12 and to know how much your dad loves you. You probably treasure the memory more now but as a twelve year old who is generally starting to find his or her way what a great gift of love and support!!

Kelly said...

Very sweet!

Linda S said...

that is really nice!

Michelle said...

I love the idea of dads writing letters to their daughters. I'm going to have to ask my husband to do that someday. Kudos to your dad for finding a way to express himself to you!

Being Honest said...

Super sweet!

thotlady said...

Cherish every memory you have with your father. I was very close to mine.

He had three daughters and one son, and I think the daughters were closer to my dad than my brother.

It's a father...daughter thing!

We lost my father in May of 2003. He was 82. I miss him every.single.day.

angela | the painted house said...

Hope you are having fun today, Sherri!

I was a daddy's girl...nothing like it!

Jess NBP said...

What a wonderful memory!!

Anonymous said...

That is so sweet. What a great Dad.

Tiffany said...

My dad is dyslexic, so hand written notes and cards always meant so much because I knew it wasn't easy.

Great post!

natalie said...

What a beautiful post! That song is so sweet.

Melissa Lester said...

I have never heard that song before. Those words are so sweet! And what precious memories of your dad!

Rhea said...

I love that picture of your dad. He looks like a fun guy. What a sweet man too. Thanks for sharing!

Add to Technorati Favorites