NOT NOW!

Adults tell many stories about when little girls are born and their daddy's melt at the sight of them. They wrap their worlds around the little girls and the minute they walk through the door their little princesses are up and awake and calling for daddy. My mother told me I was the same with my dad. He was my world. When he was gone, I slept. When he was home, I was up. I longed to be daddy's little girl all the time. As I grew older, I still longed for my dad but due to unstoppable ways of the world...we lived apart and we grew apart.
About ten years ago I had a chance to move to the country to be closer to him and I took it. It was time to make the change and it was an opportunity to find out about the man that I only knew of as a child. We had been separated for a long time and for many reasons in between. It was only a few years ago that things in our lives changed again and even though I had lived down the street from him I had not yet got to spend quality time with him. Things changed in his life and in mine and we found ourselves free to be father and daughter again.
It was dinners together and he was educating me on our family history and all the things that families usually learn over time. I was clueless and I started learning everything over a two year period. After the first year dad realized that he had a need to find a Doctor. He had a growth on his eye and it was getting bigger. He allowed me to accompanying him to the Doctor and slowly we discovered that it was cancer. My heart sunk at the thought of what was gonna happen? Was I gonna lose him to cancer just like I had lost my mom? Why Now when we just started to get to know each other again. This man didn't like medicine. He could hold the medicine in one hand that he had taken his whole life. I was fearful and quietly kept crying to myself "NOT NOW."
That was over a year ago and although the cancer is not yet completely gone. The cancer is being treated and it all looks good. He is heading towards being a survivor. I definitely feel like between the two of my parents I can call myself a caregiver. 
We continue to learn about each other and I enjoy every moment that I can spend with him. At forty-five I am not his little princess any more but he will always be my DAD! I will always love him for all that he is. He has taught me about life and not just the way of treating others but the way of respecting ourselves and learning to slow down and be true to those we love and the others around us. Instead of being angry for all the years apart..I am grateful to God for all our time together and for him allowing me to be there when my dad has needed me the most.
This story is to Honor my father, my dad. The man that I respect more than anyone on this earth:
If you share a story like mine, then please donate to my relay for life team "Footprints Of The Hearts"  at:
My URL:   http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=50977&pg=personal&px=20079579
 and then write me a story and I will make your loved one a part of this Honorary Blog with your story for all to view. Lets make one voice, one action together with many others, be the difference in this world that finds the cure for cancer. Lets stop it for the future generations.Thank you for all you do to help our fight!
Kim Barbee-Tucker
This Story Honors my dad:

Marvin "Butch" Barbee 1945-Present