Every year, around Valentine's Day, my college hold a Father-Daughter/Mother-Son Banquet and Dance. After my dad being able to come to this event two years in a row, there are some reasons I'm grateful for it. Not only is it a fun time for everyone, but it's also an amazing opportunity to spend quality time with my dad since going off to college 10 hours away from home.

Last year when I first found out that something like a Father-Daughter/Mother-Son weekend happens, I thought, "Why not invite my dad to come, it might be a good weekend if he comes." So I invited him when I was home over Thanksgiving break my first year. He said he'd be happy to come, so he started looking for flights and hotels as soon as he could. Like is usual when traveling these days, he had some plane troubles, but thankfully he got in and Saturday we were able to go to lunch together and just spend time with each other. After lunch, of course I had to get some things from Walmart, so we went shopping, but we had to be back soon to start getting ready for the evening. Getting ready in my room together, with only a small bathroom, and getting advice on how I did my hair and makeup was an especially sweet moment for me, that I probably remember the most from last year.

The first thing of the evening is Mass, and seeing everyone I know with their parent all dressed up, going to Mass together was a really cool sight to see, because at college we only see other students, but not their parents, unless they come visit, and especially not dressed up. After mass, was a cocktail hour, dinner, and a dance to which even those whose parents couldn't come were invited to. Meeting and getting to introduce my dad to my friends' parents was really cool because I got to see one aspect of where they came from.

On Sunday, we found a little cafe to grab something to eat, but he had a flight to catch and I had homework to do, so sadly we had to part ways, but overall it was a fun weekend getting to spend quality time with my dad. And again, he had plane troubles, so instead of getting home Sunday evening to go to work on Monday, he didn't fly out until Monday, but I remember him telling me afterward that even though everything didn't go as planned, he was really glad he came and we were able to spend some time together.

This year went pretty similarly to last year, him coming to get me to grab lunch on Saturday, going to Walmart, getting ready, Mass, dinner, the dance, and lunch on Sunday. I have really come to treasure these weekends, that the event is put on. I love getting to spend some quality time alone with my dad, especially since we don't really get very much time together anymore. From these weekends over the last two years, I've also learned that, although us college students want to be independent and live our own lives separate from our parents, we still need them and not take for granted our relationships with them.