Memory #8 Kindergarten Sing -A- Long

When I was in Kindergarten, Dad received permission to come to my class to sing songs with us. He brought his guitar and spent most of the day with my class. I was so excited that he was going to be at my school. I think I wanted to "show him off" to my classmates. You know, the whole "Thats MY dad. He's better than YOUR dad" mentality. But hey, I was 5 years old. I was so excited to see him when he walked into the classroom. I had even dressed up in a little plaid jumper (yes,  I remember what I was wearing that day). We all sat down on the big carpet. He asked for requests. Kids shouted out different songs and he played and sang. We all sang along with him. Other kids started getting closer to him and I did not like that one bit. I even pushed a little boy down who moved over next to my dad. My dad quietly told me to sit down and keep my hands to myself or I wouldn't be able to sing with them anymore. I sat down while keeping my eye on the other kid. Then my awesome teacher, Mrs. Brenda Bunn, said I could choose a song to sing for the last song my dad would play. I requested "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". I got up and "danced". I sang my heart out with this song and did what most people would call an "interpretive dance" to it. I remember looking at my dad's face during this moment and he had the biggest smile. After he completed the song, he put his guitar away and we all had to go to our seats. As he left the classroom, I ran over to tell him "bye". I started to cry and told him not to go. You see, at that point in my life I only saw him every other weekend as I still lived with my mother. I knew that day that it would be a little longer until I saw him again. He peeled me off of him and told me he loved me and would see me soon but that I needed to be a big girl and go sit in my chair. I obliged but cried the rest of the day. Consequently, I had a new respect for the kid who cried all the time in my class.
Several years prior to my dad's passing, he asked me if I remembered when he visited my Kindergarten class and my "dance" to Itsy Bitsy Spider. I laughed and said, "of course I do. I spun and twirled and shook my hiney. I also remember being so sad that you left and how I cried all day". Its funny how that has always been my reaction to him leaving: whether it be from my Kindergarten class; our home after a heated argument ; or when he left this Earth for good...