Happy birthday Dad!

Today is My Dad's birthday .... I feel like sharing some random thoughts about himand I.

 1. Going to six flags (or and Rock City) and he carried me everywhere and didn't go on any rides cause I wouldn't go. Think I was three or four.
 2. His gentle love and admiration for my Mom's mother.
 3. He continues to show the love and respect for my mother.
 4. If all gay children had him for a father... they would not be ashamed of who they are. They would realize their father (and Mother's) love is unconditional. Think of the end of bullying and suicides just cause they are queer.
 5. He put up with AEPi family weekends even though all the jokes against TEP.
 6. Surviving teaching me to drive.
 7. Teaching me to drive a manual shift car in a weekend and living to tell about it.
 8. His gentleness with his parents and especially my grandfather later in life
. 9. Showing his children that a man willing to show his love and care for others is a sign of strength. 
10. Showing me by example what is right in the world and continuing every day.
 11. Being willing to give the best advice, and accept when I don't always follow.
 12. Going to Broadway and hustling to the train station back to New Jersey.
 13. Advising me to buy the first condo in Ft. Lauderdale.
 14. Going his own way in life and showing me that is the right path.

I was lucky to spend last weekend, Father's Day, with him while my Mom and sister went to my niece's wedding. I must confess to feeling lucky to get to spend some time together alone. I got on the flight Sunday and i was thinking of what makes our relationship special to me. I am not only lucky to have a smart, nice and loving father. I have always known he loves me. I also realized that we genuinely like each other and enjoy our time together.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where were you 22 Years Ago on 9/11?

Image
It has been twenty-two years since 9/11, and as we look back on one of the moments in my life I can remember exactly where I was, who I worked for, what I did, and how the country and city I worked near responded. This is a blog I wrote about 9/11 22 years ago.  People say where were you? It is not perfect. No Grammarly applied, no ChatGPT analysis to make it perfect, or even format improvements.  Because, as 9/11 should seem like yesterday, twenty-two years is not that long ago. I don't feel healed, and honestly not sure the country has either. I am in Las Vegas for an IBM conference, something I have done numerous times since and before 9/11. As Frank kindly drove me to DFW, we saw a sign on a Whataburger that said we remember 9/11.  I wonder if they remember 9/11 and the immediate aftermath. A country in the horror of attacks that spanned more than the Twin Towers, as well as the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.  A country that forgot who was a Democrat or Republican.  A country that
Read more

Hot Summer Day Random Top 10

Image
  I would like to do an odd top ten. It has been a long time since I have done one, so here it goes.  I didn't start with a theme in mind, but as you read it, you may notice a theme after all. 1) If you think turning on your turn indicator while turning is the point, you are wrong.  Or, more importantly, you have yet to be a pedestrian crossing that intersection.  The point of using your turn indicator is not to show off as you turn but to let us all know what you will do ahead of time to keep us all safe. 2) If you want to complain to me but don't want to solve what you are complaining about, please don't.  I have spent most of my career trying to fix problems and move the ball forward.  Nothing is more frustrating than hearing complaints, giving good advice, and realizing that all the person wanted to do was complain. 3) Generative AI, led by ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Meta's LLAMA2, creates a unique moment in history.  It will change the jobs of white-collar workers i
Read more

Another First Father's Day

Image
  Another First Father’s Day. 58 years ago, around this date, I celebrated my first Father’s Day. I don’t remember that one as I was about seven months old. This one is my first Father’s Day since my Dad passed, and there is much to share about my Dad. June is sort of my Dad’s month. It starts with his and my Mom’s anniversary, which would have been their 64th anniversary. There is, of course, Father’s Day, and then his birthday was June 24th. So, June this year has many dates to remember my Dad. That said, I am diverted to memories from yesterday evening. I was going to Savannah to see my Mom, my sister, and my family and to “check” in. I was lucky to find a reasonably priced flight from Longview, Texas. The only airline to choose is American. To say that American Airlines didn’t show their best service yesterday is an understatement, especially in the last leg of my journey out of Charlotte, but that is not the point of this Father’s Day. After a few delays and odd gate changes
Read more