A Father's Day Card

What a great weekend! Mom came in on Thursday, and we had a great time all weekend, shopping, eating, bonding with Ripken (mom, not me, we're already likethis). The weather outside was terrible, but it was all sunshine and rainbows inside the Half Street. Then to make a great weekend, untop-able: I spent the first Father's Day in recent memory with my Dad when he came in on Sunday. We had a fantastic day. I already gave my Dad his gift, but I forgot to give him the card (its actually sitting up stairs on my desk...save for next year?? hmmmm). So Dad if you had gotten a card it would have said this:

I don't know how you did it Dad, but you did. As Mike starts his own family this year, and I start to think about moving on to other phases of my life, I'm terrified by something you made look so easy. As a child I didn't always agree with the way you did things, but in the end you were ALWAYS right. Seriously, HOW DID YOU DO THAT? Even more impressive than steering Mike and I through adolescence in one piece, you have been a wonderful adult parent. I have been through some serious ups and downs since I've been "on my own" (don't worry, I know...I was never truly 'on my own') but you were always there to promise me there would be an up, and not let me wallow in the down. Your predictions of my success were a self fulfilling prophesy: If you thought I could do it, I knew that it would be so. Any confidence I've experienced in my life, is a product of your support. Thank you.

love-p