Happy Father's Day

As most families do...  we celebrate Father’s Day.  Everyone has a father... well someone who sired them.  And the lucky one’s have a dad.  The most blessed one’s have a “daddy”.  :)  My daddy!  

When I think of my daddy... I smile.  I have so many memories of him.. but the strangest thing is that most of them are after I went to college.  He was always around and always involved but when we were young... well, he worked a lot.  Mom was the main caretaker...  but after I went to college, it seemed to change.  At least in my mind.  I remember calling him the day after I left for college and said...

me:  “Hi Daddy... how are you?” 

him:  “I’m good...”  pause... “no, really I’m not!”

me:  “Why?”

him:  “it’s awful quiet around the house.  I kind of miss you being around.”  

something like that.  The exact verbage might be wrong but that’s the main point.  He missed me.  And I missed him.  But this was the first memory I have of him being sappy.  :)  Openly admitting that he missed me and my sister who was already in school.  

It was at this point that we moved past dad/daughter and became friends.  

When I think of my daddy... I think that, as most daughters do, he is the smartest man around.  His mind boggles me.  He is an exceptional manager and has taught me all of my managerial style, as I try hard to emulate him.  I have started to learn how his mind works with spreadsheets.  He uses (are you ready?) Lotus spreadsheets (I am working at converting him to Excel)...  and to figure out his formulas takes someone with more patience than I normally exhibit.  But, I have started to learn.  :)  

My daddy is sometimes belligerent and hard headed... but he is always “right”... just ask him.  He exhibits strength of character (sometimes too strong) and once he makes a decision he sticks with it.  (whether right or wrong).  He rarely makes excuses and usually says when he is wrong... but again refer to the he’s always right thing...  

But I will say that as we have grown as people...  he has gotten a lot better at listening and after some pondering and “stewing”, he will even change his mind and then be “right” with the new thing.  :)  I think I am most like him in this.  NEVER tell me to do something... rather, suggest it, let me chew on it and usually I will come around to your way of thinking or at least will come up with another reason on why my way is better.  (HA).  

I often joke that I married my father.  And people say that this is normal.  Young girls look for people that remind them of their father.  I know that I have always looked for someone that has the same zest for life, the same strength, (both inner and outer), the same devotion to his family, smart, funny, passionate and “right”.  

I know that I have found him.  Jason is a lot like my dad... but yet unique in all the right ways.  He is all of those qualities that I mentioned above yet different too... which makes him special.  He frustrates me in different ways too but I think that can go hand in hand with the “passionate” nature.  HA!  So... I am so grateful to have married a man that is similar to my “daddy”.  There is no higher compliment, I assure you.    

I think I would be doing him an injustice if I didn’t tell you about the father that my husband has become.  I think when he learned he was going to become a father he was terrified.  The weight of the importance of that role came crashing down around his ever capable shoulders.  And although he was terrified, I never doubted for one second the father that he would be.  And he has surpassed that.  

You only have to see the way his son’s eyes light up when he sees HIS daddy to know the truth.  That there has never been a better daddy than HIS daddy.  How blessed my Joe is!  Almost as lucky and blessed as I am.  :)  

I share with you some pictures of MY daddy and of my son’s daddy!