my daddy

one of my best childhood memories was camping. oh goodness! every summer, my family would plan the "annual k-gang camping trip". this was dad's idea of "good family bonding time". a few days ahead, i would go to the grocery store with my mom. with saucer-wide eyes, little rachel would walk down the aisles of food and take it all in: the slimy hot dogs, all wrapped up in the packages, the marshmallows resting in the shelves. she would usually bypass these items until she came to the cheese section, and tried to convince her mom that they needed cheese on the trip. typically, this got shot down, and the shopping would continue on. when finally the list of items needed came to an end, the little girl would help her mom put all the items in the car, and the two drove home. rach waited until the day came for the packing and stuffing things into the cars.
she'd usually put up a fight because she didn't like cars - they made her sick. when finally the hour came for her to get in the car, tears would form until her daddy coaxed her into the car with a water bottle - her favourite drink - and she'd sit contentedly until the car started moving. for most of the ride, her brothers poked her or touched her or messed with her by telling gross stories. she'd call to her mother, "mommmmmmm! the boys are being mean. make it stop!", and the boys would stop for a few minutes.
when the car ride was over, everybody would pile out of the cars and start unpacking. a few hours later, the campsite was all set up, and a lovely, warm fire was flickering in the darkness, illuminating the family's smiling faces. after eating their share of hot dogs and s'mores, the kids would gather around their father and beg him to sing. he'd pull out his guitar and sing, all the little voices joining him, and shortly after, also their mother's sweet voice. right before bed time, their daddy would bring out "the chronicles of narnia" and read for a few chapters. rachel would close her eyes and get wrapped up in the story, often forgetting that she wasn't queen suzan or queen lucy herself. with swords clanging, and the Lion's roar, and her daddy's voice...she felt as if she could fly.