Happy Father's Day
 

just wanted to wish all the fathers out there a great day. mom's day is given more attention, but that's ok. men certainly get more recognition in the work place, so women deserve there's as well.

this is the first FD w/out my dad, and so this one will be a little tough for me. dad was always difficult to buy for, but i'd gladly take back that "inconvenience" to have him here today.

i used to buy him socks; it was a tradition that holds great memory for me. a seemingly cheap gift but...

dad had bad feet like i do. or should i say, i, like he? anyway he used to bust my chops about buying name brand shoes and socks among other things. he'd say, "son, ya know you're just paying for the name."

well, when i was a teenager at home, one day dad ran out of clean socks(usually wal-mart brand or whatever was on sale). so, mom gave him a pair of my nike socks to borrow. that night, dad conveyed to mom that he'd like a bag of nike socks for his own. and so a tradition began.

some people claim to be "old" school. well, my dad BUILT the old school. he believed in hard work, accountability, integrity, and forgiveness. he did not finish high school, yet he was one of the wisest and most successful people i've ever known.

it is my wish to become a fraction of the man he was, 'cause i know i cannot live up to the legacy he left behind.

thanks for listening. please share your fondest "dad" stories as well...

not much of a dad story but here goes...

I had left the hospital and it was the 5th day since (in the hospital for 2 days) my ears were listening out for the phone in hopes that it wouldn't ring. 5 O'clock came and went without any comotion. around 7pm, the phone rang and it was my dad. his question was simple "Is it official???"

the birth mother of my child had 7 days to change her mind about the adoption and on that 7th day, she had no more rights to this child. it was a day that I will never forget.

she is almost 6 months old now and I just celebrated my first fathers day. hopefully it will be the first of many more to come.


(on a side note)
my sister gave me socks for fathers day, they were fruit of the loom.

i would credit that as a great dad story. your father's interest in a grandchild not in his blood line is remarkable.

sadly, i only knew 2 of my grandparents. and i hardly knew them at that, as they lived far away. the other 2 passed away either before i was born or when i was very young.

seemingly insignificant stories often times are the ones most remembered. i have many great memmories of dad that he prolly didn't realize. just watching him sometimes taught me how to deal w/ people and adverse conditions.

my dad made many sacrifices for his children (I am one of 4). he could have had much more out of life. we lived in a very modest 1200 square foot home, and yes, the 6 of us. we went on vacation about 3 times a year. usually camping or fishing at the coast.

my dad worked 3rd shift so he could watch the kids during the day. my mother was a teacher. dad did most of the cooking as my mom tried hard but never quite got it right (still love her though).

my parents celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary last december. they have always been an encouragement to me in my marriage and they have also seen the struggles that my wife and I had while trying to have a child.

this fathers day wasn't really about me but more a celebration of how far my wife and I have come. my dad has never looked at my daughter as anything but his granddaughter. blood has never been an issue with him. I am truely thankful for that.