Father's Day

I really can't put into words how amazing my dad really is. I can only try to make every day of his life like father's day.

You don't really understand what you have until it's gone sometimes, and I'm talking about family if you're curious at all. I've had the horrible/ life alteringn situation having a parent die WAY before the natural time as dictated by our USA census. My mother tragically left us way too soon in January of 2005. I was only 19 years old and as I realize now more than ever didn't know shit about real life. There was one beacon of strength and hope during the toughest time imaginable, and that was my dad.

My dad has had his share of incredibly rough times. By the time he turned 12 he was the oldest of 7 without a father of his own. He certainly had a hand in raising the other kids, but also managed to graduate from UW and start his own life with my mom. During the time which had to have been hardest on him, having the person he committed his life to die before her time, he stood the tallest. Somehow he comforted the rest of us and never showed how much that loss had to effect him. Anyone at the funeral or wake knows what I'm talking about. It's too bad it had to take something like that for me to realize how great I had it. Through bad times as well as good times there has been a few constants, and one of them is the simple greatness of my dad.

I can't relate to people who haven't had such a great influence in their life, I only know how to be as grateful and thankful as possible to have mine. On this special day, just realize if you're in the same boat as I am how great you have it. You may fail to come up with words to express it, as I do, but just let you're dad know how special he is and how much you love him. They've kept your house functioning as well as your life, but all they want is to know that you realize this much. A simple thanks and your attempt to explain how much they mean will be more important to them than the new driver, or whatever gift you may have gotten. I really only hope you can understand what I speak of, because I know how much it means to me to have such an amazing dad that our language fails to express the meaning of the relationship we have and what it means to me.

Please realize that though Father's Day is merely one day out of the year, your dad has been on call for the last however many days you've been alive.