My dad, Billy Rainey, visits me in Houston twice a year. He has travelled a lot over the years, so flying in a plane isn’t new, however, it’s not a normal mode of transportation for him either. Flying into a ginormous airport like IAH (that’s like its own city) and navigating it can prove to be a feat, especially with all the construction going on currently.

His last visit was in April, my birthday month. We coordinated the visit to coincide with my return from a business trip. I flew from Midland, Texas into Houston at the same time his flight flew in from Huntsville, Alabama. As luck would have it, our flights landed in the same terminal, so we were able to meet up at baggage claim.

The next day, I needed to go into the downtown office for meetings at work and I wanted my Dad to come along with me. When we arrived late morning at the office, the first action item was getting my Dad security clearance into the building. This sounds like I have a really important job. The security is not for me or my job, but something that my company requires to keep everyone safe and secure in the office. It’s similar to a guest registering if they are visiting a school campus.

The security officer was very friendly and quickly connected that Billy Rainey was my Dad and launched into an elaborate story about her father and their relationship. When the visitor badge process was completed, I took him up to the 44th floor where my team and office are located. I introduced him to each of my team members and Dad struck up a conversation with each of them asking where they were from, how long had they had lived in Houston, complimenting them on their office decor, asking how long they had worked for the company, etc. The conversation flowed easily. Before the day was done, each of my team members had stopped by my office once more to engage my Dad. Conversations formulated into talking about farming and farm equipment to recreational trailers. Then, my Dad told my manager that he’d “better take care of his baby girl” as he was leaving for the day. The look on my manager’s face said that he wasn’t prepared for that comment and wasn’t quite sure how to respond…neither did I.

Dad loves garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, and bartering. The following morning, we got up early, took our coffee to-go, and drove to an estate sale in a very nice, gated community. I still giggle because Dad kept saying on the way over that he thought the estate sale was close to our house. We drove about 20 minutes to get there navigating I-45 then many, many stop lights. For Houston, that is close to our house. It was about 5 miles away but takes 20 minutes driving time. That’s Houston distance and time for you. Once we arrived, we waited an hour in line to get inside and unfortunately the items were priced high. Nothing tickled our fancy so we left empty handed.

That weekend was my neighborhood’s community garage sale. Dad loves to visit on these weekends. Up early again on Saturday and we began making our rounds. As mentioned before, Dad likes to barter. He strikes up a conversation with the homeowners, makes offers on items, and continues conversing. I usually become a bit embarrassed because my assumption is that most people in Houston keep to themselves and aren’t open for much conversation. I’m always surprised how people respond to my Dad, talking and joking…sometimes taking his offer, sometimes not. For the offers that are taken, that usually means storing it in my garage until I drive it back to Iuka. As I type, I have a set of wheels for a pickup truck, a set of Weather Tech floor mats, a set of plastic bins just to name a few items that I will load up and bring with me on my next driving trip home. This has become a family tradition.

During a lunch with my team the following week after my Dad returned home, one of my teammates mentioned how much she enjoyed meeting him. She said, “I love meeting family members of people I know because I get to learn more about them.” I asked her, “what did you learn about me by meeting my Dad?” She told me she could tell that my Dad loved me very, very much to travel all that way to spend time with me. She also said that she could tell he was so proud of me and she could tell he enjoyed coming to work with me. Now, I’m sure for some, you aren’t surprised at all by what my teammate observed. My Dad tells me all that time that he loves me and tells me often that he’s proud of me. But my teammate’s words struck me differently. Isn’t it funny that when a 3rd person tells you the same thing your Dad has told you, it hits deeper? My teammate gave me the opportunity to see the relationship I have with my Dad from another perspective and it was a wonderful gift. It made me treasure the visit even more. It helped me understand (on a deeper level) how special those visits make me feel. It encouraged me to take in all the love that my Dad was showing me in person and in action. He loves me that much to endure the travel and get out of his comfort zone to visit me. I tell my Dad all the time that he has given Ferrin and I a wonderful example of a father loving his children. The unconditional love of a father here on earth that helps me understand just a tiny bit more the unconditional love that my Heavenly Father has for me.

I am looking forward to my Dad’s next trip to Houston in the coming fall months. I’m looking forward to the next adventures and treasures we will find. I wonder what other items I’ll wind up storing in my garage on this next visit?

Love you, Dad!