dad's weekend recap : 2019

“Is your dad coming this weekend?” my boss asked me on Thursday. “Not this year”, I replied.

Dad’s weekend for the majority of WSU students is a great time, and I am so happy that people have a full weekend devoted to spending time with someone who is special to them.

For the other few percent of people, Dad’s weekend can be one of the hardest times.

There are days in the year that are hardest for me. These include the anniversary of when my dad passed, dad's weekend, Christmas and Thanksgiving.

There are a couple of points I want to make.

1. Spend as much time as you can with the people you love. These weekends are SPECIAL. At WSU we are recently mourning the loss of a student. My guess is that his father was planning on coming this weekend for his first college dad's weekend. It makes you realize how precious life is. You never know when it is going to be your last time seeing someone, so make every moment with them like it could be the last.

2. I am so thankful for those families I have in my life who take me in as a part of their families. Earlier this week, I was breaking down emotionally, almost booking a $300 plane ticket home on Friday because I didn’t want to be around everyone. The weekend got easier as we feasted on chili and I got to see the love that was around me, between fathers and daughters, sons and dads. This weekend could have been much harder but the wonderful people I get to surround myself with on a daily basis made this weekend easier and I cannot emphasize how lucky and fortunate I am to have them in my life.

3. Lastly, I miss my dad. There isn’t a day that I don’t miss him. Four years later. I wish I could have been watching the Cougs win this weekend and drinking beer with him. But I know that he is watching me in my prime, enjoying my days at WSU with my best friends, getting my degree, and trying to make a difference with each day. So for now, I look back on the times we had together, and one day we will have our dad's weekend.

I hope that everyone had a great weekend. Although this weekend can be hard for some, I know it is one of the best weekends for others. Cheers to the dads! Tell them you love them one more time, and again after that. Go Cougs.

Danni Messina