Dear ol' Dad

Hey Pop,

One time, when I was about 12, I got so mad at you I swore that I would never, ever speak to you again. It had something to do with a sibling squabble where you, rather uncharacteristically, blamed me without due process. As has been evident, my pledge didn't last long, and I've got to tell you, I don't regret that a bit.

You know the quote from Mark Twain: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

Well, I never thought you were ignorant, but it did take me awhile to realize how fortunate I am to have such a stand up guy for a father. I've been thinking about some of those things you have done that annually put you in the running for a "World's Best Dad" trophy. Like when you came to Dad's Day at my nursery school (I love that picture of me cutting our pancakes while you looked on, sitting in a chair intended for a four year old). And when you carved my pinewood derby race car when I was a Cub Scout, guaranteeing victory in the competition and my first trophy. And all the family camping trips we went on. And all the goofy jokes you told us. And all the fishing lures you tied for me, knowing they'd soon be stuck to a log a the bottom of the lake. And when you took me hiking to Horseshoe Lake, just the two of us. And when you chaperoned my junior high school Valentine's Day dance and performed fake wedding ceremonies. Though you made me cringe, my friends always thought you were so cool. And when you took me to see The Blue Lagoon, my first rated R movie. And when you helped me with my physics project which involved dropping a bowling ball and a softball at precisely the same time to see which falls faster. And for coming to all of my football games, band and choir concerts, school plays, speghetti feeds and talent shows. And the way you accepted me when I came out and how you've welcomed each of my partners into our family.

And a thousand other things you did to make me into the person I am today. But for the record, my brother had no right to change that channel. I was watching that.

Happy Father's Day.