My dad is turning 70 years old today, and as the writer in the family, I can’t let this amazing event go by without a few thoughts on my wonderful father. I decided the best way to honor him on his special day is to list seventy reasons why I’m glad he’s my dad or seventy things I love about him. At first I thought this might be a challenge, after all, whether it’s years or numbers on a list, seventy seems like a lot. But in the end, I found that the only I challenged I faced was in limiting my list to seventy things. That’s just the kind of man he is. And, in terms of years, seventy years is nowhere near enough time to know and love the man I call my dad. Happy Birthday, Daddy. I love you with all my heart!
Seventy Reasons Why I’m Glad You’re My Dad…
1) The way you wear your black socks with sneakers
2) Sunbathing in Williamsburg
3) Lunch at a “Sports Center”
4) A Carolina vs. Duke rivalry that will NEVER die
6) Your affinity for Gaither music
7) The way you play the piano
8) The piano you gave to me
9) Memories of you singing “I Shot the Sheriff” while shaving when I was a child
11) My shelf full of writing books that you give me each Christmas
12) The way you always wait until Christmas Eve to do your shopping
13) The way you always go overboard
14) The way you always look to me to wrap your gifts
15) Dancing with you to “Johnny B. Good” at a NUCA convention
16) Walking down the aisle with you at the Kellogg Manor House
17) Watching you hold Aletheia and Tenley for the first time and having you dedicate both of them
18) Having you officiate my wedding
19) Being baptized by you
21) The way you love my mom
22) The way you’re so proud of Chris
23) The way you love my girls
24) The way you love Melanie and me
25) Watching Les Miserables in London, for the very first time, sitting next to you
26) Dates with “Pam” and “Bobby”
27) The way you can be a bit of an Eeyore whenever you think about getting old
28) Seeing you at all my basketball games and piano recitals
30) Going a James Taylor concert with you in Charlotte…a dream come true
31) All the dreams you’ve made come true
32) The blue topaz ring you gave me for my 16th birthday, and a myriad of other jewels that make me think of you
33) Flying kites at Territorial School
34) Motorcycle rides to the Turkey Farm
35) My first bike…and my first car
36) Slumming on a Saturday
37) The way you “fix” things by calling the repair man
38) Your blue eyes that look like Pop-pop’s
39) The way you always know when to bring home chocolate
40-45) Trips to: Germany, Austria, England, France, Belgium and Italy
46) The way you have always believed in me as a writer, even when I didn’t believe in myself
47) George’s comments on my “bog”
48) How good it feels to make you proud
49) Sneaking off to Applebee’s or Moonraker’s whenever mom was out of town
50) Our shared love for March Madness, the Eagles, Alison and Barnes and Noble
51) Your eclectic taste in music…that you passed along to me
53) All the prayers you’ve prayed over me, all the dreams you’ve dreamed for me, all the tears you’ve cried for me, your hugs, your kisses
54) Sitting in your lap and finding I’ll never outgrow it
55) “Ahh, Cisco! Ahh, Poncho!”
56) Knowing that you’re the only one who will always watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” with me
57) Knowing you’re my biggest fan
58) Never, ever doubting my father’s love
59) Showing me what the Father is like
60) The way you use big words, and you’re amazing vocabulary
61) “Sweat Buddies,” and countless games of H-O-R-S-E and Around the World
62) The way every bum on the planet seems to be drawn to you, and the way you never turn them down
63) Watching you and Chris share a beer in Germany
64) Your love for CRISPY chocolate chip cookies and spumoni ice cream
65) Dream vacations throughout my life…even if they were spent, in part, at a pay phone or a convention
66) “Acorns grow into mighty oaks…”
67) “Preacher Mode,” and a fateful 4th of July
68) Your hands and crooked finger
69) Your patience, your wisdom, your love and your strength
70) The awesome privilege, and pride, and gratefulness I feel in my heart because God chose me to be your daughter, and because God chose you to be my dad
Nothing more precious than the respect and love from you and Mel…other than perhaps God’s full blessing upon you and yours.
Thanks, Dad! Happy Birthday!
Dad is a wonderful person…..
He sure is!