Happy Birthday, Dad

On April 29, 1908, my dad was born. He would have been 101 years old this year. He died after he had just barely turned 80, just 1 day shy of my 34th birthday, on May 9, 1988. He's been gone almost 21 years.

Happy Birthday, Daddy. I miss you lots. I wish you would have had the chance to know my girls - you would have loved both of them and spoiled them rotten. It meant the world to me how much you loved my husband - you saw in him all those wonderful qualities which make a decent human being. You saw that he treated me with respect - and you wouldn't have had it any other way. In fact, you wouldn't have let him marry me if there was even an ounce of disrespect evident within him. You saw that he was on his way to being a good provider for me and our future family - and you were proud of his efforts to achieve those goals, and it made you rest easier knowing your baby girl would be well taken care of (not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually as well). You saw the he was kind and tender towards me, and would never harm me physically or with emotionally or verbally. You TRUSTED him to take care of your most precious baby girl. So, when my guy got down on his knees and asked you for your blessing to marry me, there were tears in your eyes when you said "yes" because you knew I had chosen well. You knew that this guy would put me first, no matter what, and that he would never be selfish or cruel or manipulative or threatening. And, you were at peace with our marriage. You said on our wedding day that it was one of the happiest days of your life. You gave us that most wonderful gift of all - your approval and your confidence in our relationship together, which has lasted for almost 34 years.

Thank you, Dad, for all the things you gave to me. And thanks for the sacrifices you made for your family, and for the community as a firefighter. I miss you, I wish you were still here, and I love you. I especially miss that song you used to sing to me which you made up especially for me, and which I sang to my girls right before bedtime "she's my baby, baby girl - I love my baby, baby girl." You sang that to me one last time right before you died, when I was holding my newborn baby in my arms. We wept as you sang it to me and to her, as you and I knew it would be the last time I would hear it coming from your lips. Those words are embedded in my heart and soul, and hopefully, they will remain forever in my kids' memories.

Say "hi" to mom for me! Someday, we shall all be together again.