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

5)      Tea Parties with Aletheia

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

10)   Long walks with Bella

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

20)   The way you love God

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

29)   The smell of your cologne

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 16^th 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

52)   Listening to you preach

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 4^th 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