My Old Man

My Dad--November, 2006
My Dad--on a cake!--June 23, 2007

**********My Dad!**********

He's my guy. My first "love". The guy I could always talk to. The guy who tells me dirty jokes and we sit and giggle over them. The guy whom I love to watch (and listen) tell a story. The guy who was my source of all things good as a child. I just love my dad.

And yesterday, he turned 68 years old.

I appreciate that fact that I am 38 (nearly 39) years old and I still am blessed enough to have this man in my life, and in the lives of my children. I can't even fathom my world without him in it. When I think of my relationship with him I wonder why I'm so much closer to him than I am with my mother. Is it that we're allies in the defense of mom's anger? Maybe. I don't really know. What I do know is as a kid, and even now he's the parent I can talk to without judgement. He listens to me. He only gives me a "You should..." when asked. He talks to me like I'm an adult. Maybe that's why!

I also think there's something to the whole "father-daughter" thing and the "mother-son" thing. Being a mum to two boys, I totally see the latter. Growing up, I also saw it with my mom and her boys. She always had more time for them...more patience...more--understanding. It took me a long time to be OK with that, but I now see that I got the better end of it. I got my dad. The boys always were able to talk to mom about things. I could never. They (or at least Troy) find it hard to talk to dad. It's funny isn't it?

So...here's to my father....my Old Man! May he live for another...well...may he live the rest of his years with health and happiness, and may he live with these traits for many, many years to come!