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"The most important relationship within the family, Second Only to that of husband and wife, is the relationship between Father and Daughter".

By: David Jeremiah
From the book:
"The Love Between Fathers and Daughters"

"Daddy is still a daughter's defender, her hero, the first man in her life- no matter how old she is."

Victoria Secunda

Our daddy was one of ten children. He was born to Oswin Sutton and Dora in Nash County. He had 4 brothers and 5 sisters. You'd think growing up having to share with so many siblings and not having much privacy he would have been a closed stingy person, but he was just the opposite!! He loved people and was the type of person that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

Growing up we somehow thought daddy wanted a son. Both of us were tomboys growing up. I exchanged my jeans for lace and discovered boys *S* and my sister pursued sports. She won an athletic scholarship to Winthrop. From there she went out to Texas to the seminary. After graduating she began teaching at a small private school and also began her coaching career. Over the years she has moved on and up as better opportunities opened up for her. She has been named coach of the year. Our daddy was right there cheering her on all the way!! When he wasn't going to her games to lead the cheering he was helping her with her banquets.

As I said, I discovered boys *S* A few weeks before I was to graduate I decided I wanted to get married instead. I know that must have hurt him, but I got my diploma later and I know he was proud. I didn't go to college and have a wonderful career like my sister, instead I opted for motherhood. I gave my daddy 5 grandsons. If he had secretly wished for a boy his wish over rode my wish for a girl *L* If he was a great father, he was an even greater grandpa. He got so excited each time another was born. Although I didn't know it, because he never let on, he worried with each pregnancy about me. He must have been so relieved when I came through alright.

Our daddy worked hard and tried to give us everything we wanted but he made sure we got everything we needed. We were 2 of the best dressed little girls in town and on Christmas morning it looked like Santa wrecked in our living room!! Daddy always made sure us girls had corsages to wear to church on Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day!! He built my dream playhouse, complete with Susie Homemaker appliances. We had a pool that kept him busy keeping clean. Daddy was real good at mending broken hearts. He got lots of practice. My first pets were either great escape artists that ended up on the highway or had heartworms that didn't respond to the treatment back then. Daddy always wrapped them up for proper buriel and consoled me as I stood there grieving. Daddy never left the house without giving good-bye kisses.

Daddy took up woodworking and was really good at it. He built a small version of a mill that he put by his fish pond, complete with a working water wheel!! He made little boxes for each of us that I treasure dearly!!

When daddy got sick I was over 3 hours away with 2 little ones, one on the way and not able to get home much. My sister moved back home to help mom care for him. She was with him day in and day out until the end. I envy her that, not having to watch him grow weaker each day but just being able to be with him!! I was able to get home about every other weekend towards the very end and I kept in touch by phone every day. I am so thankful I got to tell him what he meant to me. At one point, though it was very hard to do without nearly bursting into tears, I sang to him, a song that said what he had always been to me. In a soft voice not much more than a whisper the words "did you ever know you were my hero, you're everything I wish I could be, and I can fly higher than the eagles, cuz you are the wind beneath my wings..."

I can't even begin to speak for my sister, but I know that losing our daddy has been one of the hardest things I have ever faced in my life!! He taught me how to cook collards. He taught me everything I know about flowers and gardening. Even now, over a year later, when I get a new plant I think I need to call daddy and see if he would like a piece of it. He loved red chicken stew and I used to fix it pretty often before we moved away and call him up to come eat some. Even after I moved I would call him to tell him I had a big pot on cooking. I haven't fixed it but once since he died. I fixed it for Brandon's birthday, because like his papa he loves it. As I stood there stirring my stew I thought, I ought to call daddy and then I remembered I couldn't. The biggest lesson my daddy taught me was love of family and how to give to others. The final lesson my daddy taught me is we never know how long we'll have the ones we love so tell them everyday how much they mean to you and that you love them!!