Appreciate the Big One-Eight (18)

Appreciate indeed! This is the last entry for my 2012 Love Dare.
Today, after taking a shower, instead of leaving my towel on the floor for my dad to pick up like I usually do, I hung it up myself.

Ordinarilly I post a few lyrics or a link to a song. I couldn't find a video for this song so I'm posting all the lyrics instead.

Finish Strong by Charles Billingsly:

Lately I've been feeling
Like this race is running me
And I'm fighting to stay focused
On all that I believe
And somewhere in the distance
There's a prize that I can win
And I'm more determined now more than I've ever been

I want to finish strong
Faithful to the Father though the road is long
Crossing that line and still I'm pressing on
Oh, I want to finish strong
Oh, I want to finish strong

I can still remember
What it felt like at the start
When the passion for the missionWas a fire in my heart
And the further that it takes me
It gets easier to see
The best part of the journey now
Is still in front of me

It's not about how fast I run
It's not about how far I've come
It's all about the moment
When I hear My child, well done

Seventeen Ain't So Sweet

Yesterday was my dad's birthday.
We got him an ice cream cake and I was nice to him all day, partially because of his birthday, partially because of the love dare.

Sweet Sixteen

My dad gets up a lot earlier than I do.
Usually he putters around doing dishes and reading before he gets ready for work.
This morning he didn't bring in the paper which is uncharacteristic of him, so I brought it in.

Lean, Mean Fifteen.

The title reflects the day.
Mostly the "mean" part.
It was a terrible day and I could barely utter a word to my dad without getting annoyed.
It not even that he's being unreasonable, I just have a personality conflict with him.
We cannot get along.
As a nice gesture though, I told him that my friend got into his alma mater, which he is obsessed with.
This was information that I would normally withhold because I hate to hear him rant about it.


"Someday, I'll be living in a big 'ole city,
and all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me,
and all you're ever gonna be is mean."

--Mean by Taylor Swift

Day Fourteen

I had a track meet today and I let my dad come.
I ususally ban him from any sporting event because, as I've previously mentioned, he's terribly annoying.

"Run to get away.
Keep breathing to move forward.
Pause to look back.
Then carry on."

Lucky Number 13

I decided to switch up the title for variety's sake.
It's also been a really good day for me, lucky if you will.
I went to confession so I'm feeling reaffirmed in my faith and ready to give this love dare some real effort.
My Dad likes to pretend he's cool by fist bumping people but I never partake because it is incredibly embarrassing.
Tonight while we were watching Jeopardy! he was on a roll so he held out his fist for me to bump in recognition of his hot streak.
I did.

Day 12

My dad likes to live vicariously through my athletic career.
He always has suggestions and ways to help me improve even though I run track which he has never done before in his life.
I hate when he tries to tell me what to do because he is the least athletic man ever and thinks he knows everything.
Today, after practice, he told me all the things that I need to do differently.
Rather than get annoyed, I thanked him and walked away.