Tomorrow is Dad's 76th birthday. It is not "old" in today's world where some people live to 114 but it is darn right respectable in any world. Father, Dad, Daddy, how do we ever actually honor him? How do we ever thank him for all that he has done for us? How do we ever let him know what an important person he is to us? How do we explain the lessons he has taught us? How to see, how to listen, how to evaluate, how to work and work hard. How to see potential at every picked over garage sale? How to face life and all of it's challenges. How to laugh when there is nothing funny about a situation. How to ask the hard questions. How to admit you are wrong with conviction and integrity. How to tell a tall tell. How to create memories for our children. How to teach them to want to travel and try new things. How to make a pair of shoes last a little bit longer. How to value friends and family and put up with all their foibles. How to fry perfect bacon and make sour dough pancakes ( I am still working on that one.) How to put stamps on an envelope so they are not all cancelled and can be reused. How to forgive yourself for not letting a man poorer than yourself polish your shoes when you only have two dollars in your pocket. How to give the best of yourself to those that seek your help. How to not carry a grudge. How to accept people for what and who they are but still expect the best of them. How to place the best picks in the office pool for March Madness. How to have the courage to make big life changes and stop what is making your so so unhappy to find what you really want to do. How to milk a cow and pull off a chicken's neck. How to go on endless road trips and camp out every night. How to appreciate art and music. How to stop at historical markers just because. How to try and understand the mistakes we as a culture have made and do a little something to fix it. How to appreciate Chief Joseph and the importance of seeing where the battle occurred. How to drive a stick shift. How to treat your life partner. How to accept all the weird things your children do. How to forgive your children for all the weird things they do do. How to get a 4 point in college. How to have an interest in lots of things and not be a nerd. How to laugh at yourself when you make a laughable mistake like saddle the draw horse and not the riding horse. How to take advantage of every possible opportunity when you have the chance. Find out where you are and explore a place for more than the obvious. How to face serious and life threatening challenges with grace and honor. How to be thankful of each and every day knowing they are a gift. I don't know how to say the right things so I have decide to put this on my blog and and send him a copy for his birthday and try not to comit mail fraud by using old stamps or Christmas Seals.
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