Dad,
How do I possibly begin to put into words all that you mean to me and what a total and complete difference you have made in my life. When I think of you, I am reminded of the book ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein. The story is about the relationship between a tree and little boy – and their journey together through life. The tree gives and gives and gives to the boy, never asking for anything in return. You my dear daddy are my tree! You have provided me with everything I’ve needed at each stage of my life, whether I’ve asked for it or not. And not once have you ever asked for anything in return.
Your ‘giving’ is not in relationship to any materialistic items you have given me. Rather, you are generous with giving your experience, your wisdom, your opinion (but only when asked), your laughter, your ‘take it with a grain of salt’ attitude and your playfulness!
As with ‘The Giving Tree’, you are a rock solid force in my life. You are probably the most stable person I know, continuing to put one foot in front of another on your life’s journey, sometimes getting battered and bruised – but NEVER getting knocked down!
By far the greatest gift you have ever given me is the gift of your friendship as I became an adult, a wife and a mother. Although I will always be your little girl at heart, you allowed us to transition from the typical parent – child relationship into a mature adult friendship with give and take, unconditional love, disagreement at times, but always a mutual respect!
More than anything, I want to honor and acknowledge you! I want you to know how much I LOVE you and how AWESOME you are! Here are 10 things I love about you:
1. You talk with your hands – some would think you are Italian, but we know you are just an engineer that explains things both physically and with your words.
2. Your have an incredible work ethic – you exhibit a sense of responsibility, follow through and pride in your work. This certainly holds true in your career, but is also evident in your various home improvement, landscaping, and furniture refinishing projects. Your attention to detail and ability to bring something to completion is inspiring.
3. You thrive on trying new things – I could write a whole post about this! Wait – I did that already – The Thrill of Something New! My heart bursts with JOY as I watch you pass this most amazing life lesson onto your 4 grandsons.
4. You never complain – about anything! For real! That is an incredible quality. There are many times I let a complaint slip (or vomit) out of my mouth and I think ‘Hhhm – my Dad would never have said that!’
5. You know what you LOVE – and you are intentional about enjoying the things you love. Just a few of which are cross country skiing, antiques, jazz music, golf, tigers, ice cream after 11:00 pm, dancing, watching football and snorkeling!
6. You dress mono-chromatically – this is one of those quirky things that makes you uniquely YOU! From jacket, shirt, pants, socks and even shoes, you blend various shades of the same color. The exception to this rule is with your summer attire, in which case you go in the complete opposite direction and mix contrasting bright colors. I know we tease you, but I really do LOVE this about you!
7. You live fully in the moment – you are AWESOME at being present to whatever you are doing in the moment. If you are unloading groceries, folding laundry or cooking dinner – you are present. If you are playing ‘hearts’, watching a late night movie or reading a sci-fi book – you are present. If you are zooming down the water slide, snorkeling with dolphins or kayaking in the river – you are present!
8. You exude JOY – when you smile and laugh, JOY spills out of all your pores and makes you contagious!
9. You believe in me – not once, ever in my entire life, have you told me that I couldn’t do something! Even if you may have thought that I shouldn’t do it, you believed in me! You believed that I would either succeed or would recover from whatever consequences and life lessons I faced.
10. You put family first – I felt this as a child, but I began to really distinguish it clearly as I watched your relationship with your mom as she aged. You were consistent in your commitment, whether you were calling to talk or driving the 8 hours to visit her. This continues with your children and grandchildren. Your love towards us and your desire to be in relationship with us is without question!
I sometimes talk with my hands, I strive to not complain, but I will never dress mono-chromatically. The rest of what I LOVE about you are part of who you are and how you live your life – and you have been an exceptional role model.
I love and honor you as both my father and my friend!
with Joy & Gratitude,
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