Brown paper packages tied up in strings, these are a few of my favorite things

Remember the package my dad sent me last week?  I thought it was for Valentine's Day because of all the stickers, so I waited til Tuesday night to open them up (a second package came 3 days later because it turns out my dad forgot to put one of the items inside the sticker-laden package).  Turns out, Dad was just being sweet and wanted to cheer me up.  Work has been incredibly stressful and pretty rough lately and it ended with me in tears several times a couple of weeks ago.  I cried on the phone to my Dad the entire commute home from work one day, which apparently greatly concerned him.  So of course my sweet dad responded by writing me a long card (which he always does at hard times in my life and I still have all of them) and by sending me a couple of items to cheer me up.  What does a dad send his stressed out, 31-year-old daughter?

Obviously a panda bear calendar.  There's a different card for each month and the panda is holds a different thematic object.  (If you want one, hit up Urban Outfitters.  Dad was very proud to tell me that was where he got it.) 

(Yes, my dad likes to shop at Urban Outfitters.)

(But only in the non-clothing areas.)

(My dad is very hip and cool.)

Also, a fun, sparkly ring, which I wore all Tuesday night.  Apparently Mom also got a red one and my sister got a white one. 

Is it something I'll wear very often?  Probably not.  But it is fun and kitschy.  And it definitely reminded me that my dad loves me and that to him, I will always be his little girl no matter how old I get (which sounds so cheesy, but clearly it's true - he sends me heart rings in a package covered in stickers.  You know I'm right.). 

I'm so lucky that I get to have my parents be my parents, and not just because my dad sends random packages.  I wish everyone felt that way about their parents.  If you're reading this and you don't feel that way, I wish some day for you to have kids who feel that way about you.  I wish I could hug my parents tonight, and since I can't, I'll ask those of you who live in the same city as your parents to go hug them.  And then hang out with them this weekend.