This world is filled with incredible men. Fathers, of course. Men who would, in the blink of an eye, lay their lives down for their children. No questions asked. No regrets. Men who share their wisdom, their happiness, their days with their children.
I am so lucky because I am married to one, the daughter of another, the granddaughter of two more, the daughter-in-love of another, and sister, niece, in-law or friend to many others of these men. Throughout my life, they have served as inspiration and role models in my life. And, on the lighter side, they have saved me from the perils of many a spider and flat tire, not to mention changed more than a lightbulb or two.
Today, as we celebrate fathers, can it be any more appropriate than to celebrate one of the men to whom, for me, this day is dedicated? He is, of course, my dad.
So I share with you this list that I wrote a few years ago and have since kept hidden on my computer. I have updated it a bit today and I think it's a good time to share it. My dad has never seen it and neither have you. So here you go.
50 reasons I love my dad
1. For early morning fishing trips, filled with long talks and comfortable silences, and even a fish now and then.
2. For those magic words “It’s going to be ok” complemented with a hug. They worked when I was three and they still do.
3. For teaching me the importance of the truth.
4. For showing me that with determination and faith, anything is possible.
5. For bringing me carnation corsages and then escorting me to daddy/daughter dinners.
6. For our dance at my wedding.
7. For teaching me to make decisions on my own, especially when as a parent, it would probably have been easier for you to steer me in one direction or the other.
8. For trusting me to spend a year in Denmark and allowing me to go when I was only 15.
9. For teaching me the importance and beauty of a marriage through the example of your own lifelong partnership with mom.
10. For the gift of life.
11. For beautiful, handmade baby cribs, rocking chairs and wooden chests that will be in our family for generations.
12. For all of your work in Rotary and with the numerous other organizations and foundations.
13. For teaching me the importance of God and faith in my life.
14. For making my dream of a princess wedding come true and walking me down the aisle on that very special day.
15. For coming on a crazy trip to Norway to watch us ski, even when you’ve never skied yourself.
16. For your “soap box” lectures on tape, made and shared with me while I was on exchange.
17. For “Twas the Night before Christmas”, a recording that still moves me to tears.
18. For helping me to laugh when I wanted to cry about the many bad haircuts I’ve had through the years.
19. For sitting through endless swim meets and band concerts, and cheering me on all the way.
20. For post-concert celebrations at the ice cream shop in McHenry.
21. For drive-in movies, with Tim and I in the back seat. Popcorn, blankets and all.
22. For teaching me how to use a computer and sending me with one to college, when such a thing was a rare sight on campus.
23. For serving on the McHenry School Board and bring back the vital house-building program to McHenry high schools.
24. For coming to DC when I broke my leg and helping me to move home.
25. For endless hours of listening to my paranoid concerns over various issues – grades, the children, the future – and always helping me to believe in the best.
26. For sharing the joys of camping with us.
27. For saving me late one scary night from whatever it was that was crawling in my window.
28. For loving Steen as if he is your own son.
29. For telling it to me straight.
30. For supporting us as we move around the world and back again, and never judging us along the way.
31. For numerous trips to be with us in Boston, Denmark and Sweden.
32. For your daily phone calls to grandma (and now, I believe, to grandpa).
33. For sacrificing so much so that I could attend the college of my choice.
34. For offering your shoulder when I broke up with my first boyfriend (and every break-up thereafter).
35. For calling me right away when you can see from an email that I might need some cheering up.
36. For taking us to Yogi Bear’s campground.
37. For missing mom for six weeks while she spent them with me at the end of my pregnancy with Lucas.
38. For being Rotary President and Rotarian of the Year .
39. For letting go so many thousands of times when you must have wanted to hang on.
40. For letting me go to George Washington University, the school of my dreams, where they "wouldn't hold my hand" but would let me grow up, where I would meet so many amazing people and have an experience that would change the rest of my life in the best possible way.
41. For always believing in me.
42. For being an amazing grandfather.
43. For the amazing trips to Disney World, both when I was a child and when I had children of my own.
44. For beautiful Christmas, Easter, birthday, and New Year’s memories.
45. For laughter and your sense of humour.
46. For sharing stories of your family and your childhood.
47. For never letting me doubt, even for a moment, how much I am loved.
48. For being strict, even if, as a child, I felt you were being unfair.
49. For trusting me, especially when I was a teenager.
50. For being my father. I am blessed to be your daughter.
