My Three Dads

I was born in September of 1959 to Audrey and Charlie Arnold. They were amazing parents, with quite a few years of experience (all with boys, though) by the time I came into their lives. I never, ever wondered if I was loved. On this Father’s Day, I’ll focus on my dad. Dad and I had a wonderful relationship. I loved being his little girl. That dynamic never changed, no matter how old I got. I got just over 50 years with him, and it has been almost 9 years that he has been gone. I still miss being his little girl. I miss being loved in that special way that a daddy loves his little girl. One of my favorite memories was riding horseback with him, whether it was just around the edges of Fountain or on trail rides or wherever. We had some great Daddy-daughter times on those rides.

My second dad was Les Traff. I was his first daughter (in-law) as well, marrying into the family in 1983. He was always respectful and kind to me. He was precious to me and was an amazing grandpa when the time came. I loved him dearly. I got just over 31 years with Les. He has been gone just about 4 years now, but he was alive the last time we were in Prince Edward Island. He seemed to enjoy hearing about our travels, and comparing notes on places we had both been. I miss hearing his voice and his laugh. I miss seeing his tears when something really touched him. He was a great father (in-law) to me. One of my favorite memories was the way he choked up every time I gave him a Shutterfly calendar filled with family pictures. Family was so important to him.

My third dad isn’t really my dad, but rather the father of my children. He is MINE and he is a DAD, so that’s what I’m going with. R.J. and I parented four amazing children together, with the first one arriving in 1988. So far, I’ve watched him be a dad for just over 30 years. I called him “Dad” for quite a number of years. I still do occasionally! Over the years, I have seen him sacrifice his wants, his time, and his money to do what is best for our family. One of my favorite memories was our Highway 52 family trip, where we took two vacations to trace the route of this US Highway. (It goes from Portal, ND to Charleston, SC, if you’re interested.) We have some great family memories from those trips.

None of these dads were perfect. They all made mistakes along the way, but they also loved their children fiercely. I am eternally thankful for each one of my three dads.