We'll always have Indian Princesses

In honor of Father's Day, this week's Friendship Friday post is about my first male friend...my dad.

My dad and I go way back...to the day I was born. (I take after his knack for corny jokes.) He's always played a prominent role in my life. Even though he traveled a lot when I was a baby, he made sure to spend quality time with me when he was home.

During my elementary school years, my dad and I did a program called Indian Princesses. We went to meetings every few weeks and on camp-outs in the fall, winter and spring. It was a fun bonding experience for us. My sister joined when she was old enough. One year, he got to be Nation Chief, which is a huge honor. We were both so proud of him, even when the tribal chiefs doused him with flour to celebrate. He always came up with fun things for our tribe to do and made sure to bring PB&J sandwiches to every camp-out in case of picky eaters, like myself. We did fundraisers where we'd sit outside the bank all day and sell candy.

We also had a ritual where the two of us would go out for dinner as special father and daughter bonding time. We usually went to Yen Yen for the occasion. I also went with him to watch him bowl on league nights. He found ways to help me feel involved. I got to see him bowl again when I was older, as he bowled with my husband for a while. We also would bowl together a lot in my youth and adult years. We even entered a tournament together once.

My dad has always been supportive without being overwhelming. He listens and knows whether advice is needed or not. He will get overenthusiastic sometimes, but that's just his way of expressing himself. I find it endearing. When we first told my parents that I was pregnant with my older son, my mom made a huge fuss and my dad just sat there and smiled. I knew he was thrilled but had his own way of showing it.

I am very similar to my dad in terms of personality. We're both very friendly, welcoming, funny (or at least we try to be), and we find ways to make ourselves stand out. He's famous for his latkes and is always in demand around Hanukkah time. He now is on Facebook and has connected with all my friends on there. (How many people actually respond to their friends' parents' friend requests on there? Apparently 72 that I know.)

When we moved to NJ, he was the only person who didn't make me feel bad about our decision. He offered words of support and tried to make the move as easy for us as possible.

My dad is a fantastic grandpa to my sons. They both adore him. When my younger son was turning 1 year old, he only wanted to be with my dad and would not leave his side. He even fell asleep on him a few times. He's always excited and supportive about everything they do, even if it's a minor milestone. He's also really good with animals and treats his pets as if they were human. He had a special bond with Kitty, the cat who passed away recently. I know it was hard for him to let him go. Kitty chose my dad originally, when we got him in 1994. He approached and cuddled with him both times that we went to the shelter.

He has a motto that he taught me when I was a kid and will still tell me to this day: "Dad can fix anything." Not saying that he should come to fix stuff in our house (even though he does anyway when he visits), but he instilled in me the belief that anything is fixable and not to give up when something isn't right.

I am very fortunate to have such a strong connection to my dad. I enjoy talking to him, even though he doesn't tell my mom anything and I have to repeat the same stories to her. He's always been there for me, no matter how far apart we live. I have a lot of fond memories from our past, as well as ones we've created over time and continue to create going forward. However, my favorite memory will always be our time together in Indian Princesses.