What’s a small childhood memory with your dad, or a father figure, that still warms your heart?

Question

Since it’s Father’s Day, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite memories with my dad. I was definitely a daddy’s girl as a child… and I have so many little moments with him that still make me smile. He used to take me with him to drag races, and even though some of the cars were so loud that I had to cover my ears, I loved being there with him. It felt exciting… special… and like I was getting to be part of something he loved.

I also remember him taking us on rides all the time in his Buick Grand National, with oldies playing and the wind blowing my hair around. He would sing along terribly but that honestly made it even better because it always made me laugh. And at home, he would let me be silly while he was trying to watch TV. I’d climb all over him and mess with his hair… annoy him on purpose, and he’d just be patient with me while trying to watch his show lol.

Those memories feel simple now, but they meant so much. Sometimes the best childhood memories aren’t huge events… they’re just some of those little moments where you felt loved, safe, and allowed to be yourself.

So what’s one of your favorite childhood memories that involves your dad or father figure?

ohsheeT · Accepted Answer

There were 2 things that I will never forget I don't know if I should tell you but I think you would understand it but the first one every night would go into their room my parents room and say good night and I went into the room and in their bedroom they didn't have a window where a window in a bedroom would usually go it was up about 8 ft High on this wall particular wall and it was only like a foot and a half tall and maybe two and a half to 3 ft wide when I walked in and I was saying good night and something caught my eye and I looked up by the window and he must have seen the look in my face or in my eyes but he kept saying what what is wrong what and I just kind of pointed towards the window and he jumped up out of bed he was out the front door and he was gone for a few minutes when he comes back he goes what was going on because I don't see anything out there and but I saw it was a white Sasquatch is nostrils up against the window I mean just breathing Steam and you can see still where the nostrils were I mean here's a man that used to beat me all the time but he was there to protect me too when he didn't know what he was running into I think that was great but

And now with saying all the above the other memory I have is we were driving down the road he used to make race motors for Volkswagens for off-roaders and we had a tricked out Volkswagen bug that just would haul back but anyway we had went to the hardware store and we're coming back home and all of a sudden this car swerves right in front of us and he Slams on the brakes and then the car moves back over to the other lane so he pulls up the guy was a black guy and I never heard this man cuz ever in my life from one years old to 10 years old nothing I never ever heard him say a cuss word but anyway he pulled up to the car passenger window and he starts yelling you effing N word and he's going out of control just yelling at the guy and then he starts telling me to call him that and I just kind of like looked at him and I shook my head no and he said do it now and I shook my head no I thought it was a cuss word but I mean he was on top of me just telling me now and then I just was saying no and the guy turned it went down the street and now you my stuff has even more pissed off so all the way home is yelling at me when I tell you to do something you do it blah blah blah and when we got to the house he said go to your room get prepared because he was going to beat me with his belt and I walked into the house and my mom must have seem to look on my face and I just kept walking straight into my room so she followed me in there she said what is wrong and I said he wanted me to yell at some guy and call him this and she said what I said yeah he told me if I didn't say it that I was in big trouble when we got home so I go but I wasn't going to cuss and she goes well what was the word and I told her she goes no that's worse than a cuss she turned around walked out my bedroom it went straight to him and said what are you doing what are you telling him to do he's not going to do that you know he's not going to do that and they started arguing

And she told him if he had the discipline me or spank me or whatever he calls it because he didn't say that word he said I can't not allow that she said that's out of control so and I think I must have been six or seven then but I never heard him cuss again or even say that word again ever

Lliam · Accepted Answer

Teaching me to throw, catch and hit a baseball and being the assistant coach for my championship park league team from the time I was 8.

Taking the family camping for a week during summer vacations. He had a knife and scabbard that his dad (a machinist) had made for him before he went off to WWII and he had carried it throughout the war. He gave it to me when we were camping and I wore it on my belt. I felt like Daniel Boone. It seemed as big as a broadsword. But later in life, I realized that the blade was only 7" long.

From a young age until high school, he took me to meetings of a WWI aero historian club that he belonged to. They were held on evenings every other month in Hollywood. Some celebrities were members.
They would have a speaker and then show a movie. I saw The Dawn Patrol (two versions - 1930 and 1938) and Hell's Angels (the Oscar winning Howard Hughes 1930 film). I still love those films.
They also had a viewing of the 1927 film Wings in a Hollywood theater where the director and one of the stars were present to meet and greet in 1967.

My dad also took me to movies, especially the war films in Cinerama like The Longest Day, The Battle of the Bulge, and Tora Tora Tora.

He took me to air shows and air museums.
When I was young, one air show was all WWI aircraft.
He knew people. One time he took me to a place where a friend of his built replica WWI airplanes. And we went to the Long Beach airport to watch the progress of building planes that resembled WWII Japanese planes for the movie Tora Tora Tora.

When I was 11 or 12, he took me for guitar lessons one day a week. Afterwards, we would go across the street to a Helen Grace ice cream parlor and I could get anything I wanted.

On weekends he would always want to go for a "drive". Usually the whole family but sometimes just he and I would go places.

When I was maybe 13, he started letting me sit next to him and steer the car. Later, he started teaching me to drive by taking me to large, empty parking lots to sit behind the wheel and drive.

SueShe · Accepted Answer

I have my little story that, at the time, was not so nice because of what I did. At that time, I cursed him but in retrospective, I am glad he did what he thought would teach me a life lesson and it did.

When I was a kid, I stole one of those erasers that you put at the tip of a pencil from the corner store. My heart was beating like crazy because I knew I did something that was inappropriate.

By some mysterious coincidence, my father got wind of it and made me write an apology letter to the owner of the store. He came with me and while he waited in front of the store, I was obliged to go into the store and deliver the apology letter to the owner while waiting for his reaction.

I could have died of shame and once the shop owner read my apology letter, he had a tear in his eye but gave me a sermon about my dishonest behavior. Nevertheless, he told me I could keep the eraser...

That was my most shameful behavior and something I am not proud of.

PeachyPie93 · Accepted Answer

We used to always play hockey and racing games together, take drives together and once he took us on this dirt road that was being worked on and he was speeding and hitting dirt piles as jumps in his pickup and the first one i wasn't ready and not wearing a seat belt so I flew up and hit the roof, it was fun xD I always had fun with my dad same when we would go skidooing in the winters and he'd hit jumps with me on the front. Or in empty parking lots he'd speed and then pull the emergency break to spin out lol.

LazerBean · Answer

All the times he's bought me baby chicks lol I remember the very first time, he brought me to the post office to pick up a package. I was so excited when I heard the little peeps

Massageman · Answer

Got to eat a White Castle luncheon with my dad- an Ad Manager- at the White Castle Regional office when they opened it up a few miles from our house about 67-68 years ago. I packed away THREE of those things.

MemeSupreme · Answer

thsts really sweet i really liked watching my dad play games as a kid. its how i got into silent hill

DishLady · Answer

Hmm. There are too many.

I do remember being very little for the bicentennial and not being able to see anything so my godfather put me on his shoulders and walked around with me just like that. I ultimately got a touch too much sun, yawned, folded my hands over his head, rested my face and fell asleep. I still remember and it's been YEARS and years.

Nikki1989 · Answer

He was the first person to teach me music and encouraged me to take piano lessons. He also told me several things about people and relationships in general that proved to be completely correct many times over.

MsdrET · Answer

My daddy was soooo good! I could feel the love and intensity of his intent to love his family. I don’t know why this ever occurred to me but I knew in my heart as a child that my daddy would never leave us. His children shared this feeling and it remains with me and us.
Best memory is when he took me to my first “girly” competition event by himself.

Shiprex · Answer

Playing football in the park outside our house with other dads.

AviatorTom · Answer

When I'm watching baseball game, I sometimes think back to all the games my dad and I went to each summer. We always sat in the same general admission seats and got to know the regulars around us.

Ariesman81Nshiiit · Answer

Watched him bench press a transmission into place. Turns out being yelled at to "GET A BOLT IN IT!" doesn't make your fingers work any better. Saw him shoot a shotgun one handed... that was badass.

Agape93 · Answer

Not my dad. But being told I was special and meant for bigger things than to die alone in that place.

Sugar100 · Answer

Not really my whole life it was just parents fighting everyday & me crying. And me moving to many different homes each year as parents never bought a house.

darkcloud1945 · Answer

Our first major league baseball game and dinner together.

ThisSiteSux · Answer

My dad was mowing the front lawn. We lived on a corner lot in Philadelphia. A drunk driver blew the stop sign and got hit by the car going the other way. He then hit the stop sign on the corner of our property and the stop sign cut off the head of a homeless person walking pat it. It rolled and stopped at my feet. My dad ran to me and turned my head and kicked the head down the street. He said. "Sometimes people die" "he went quick. He's lucky"

Xoirwinkan · Answer

Enjoying my dad's soup. He was never one for recipes and was rather creative in the kitchen. It was a great tomato soup with boiled eggs, corn, and other things. Shame my parents got divorced.

AngryCarl3 · Answer

Nah, there's nothing. I was the youngest of three kids, my Dad was either at work, complaining about work, working on the car or in church. No complaints though, the less I saw of him the happier I was.

Agatha01 · Answer

My dad having tea parties with me when he was in my life. Teaching me how to drive before I was legally aloud to drive. And how to drive stick.

Anonymous · Answer

Uswd to take me to work as a road inspector.

thegreenyogi · Answer

Watching him cook and make magic in the kitchen.

Staximus · Answer

My brother and I siting inside my dad’s acoustic guitar case while he would play us songs on the guitar and harmonica at the same time, when we were 2-4 years old.

OneViewpoint · Answer

Sorry but I had none of those.

exitseven · Answer

I still think of going fishing with my father.

loveslongnails · Answer

Tossing around a baseball with me.

Phoenix98 · Answer

Fishing.

What’s a small childhood memory with your dad, or a father figure, that still warms your heart?

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What’s a small childhood memory with your dad, or a father figure, that still warms your heart?

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What is your most vivid memory from childhood?

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