The best daddy ever

Today is Father's Day.  The one day a year we stop and celebrate Dad. Looking at Facebook this morning there are hundreds of posts celebrating dad's or men who have stepped in and taken the place of dad and even some Mom's who took the place of dad.  I am for certain that most people believe that their dad is the best dad ever.  More superior than the other dad's.  I hate to tell you that you are incorrect, that my dad is in fact the best dad ever.

He is the man who brought me not one...but TWO baby kitties in a basket when I think I was about two years old.

He is the man who taught me everything I needed to know about sports.

He has chaperoned many an activity, school trip, etc with no complaint, he drove my sister Erin to Cedar Point one year when she missed the bus with her class.

He coached us in every sport imaginable from the time we were about 5 right through high school and continued to coach after we were grown because his nephews needed someone to coach their baseball teams.

He came to every single game of mine.  Basketball, volleyball, home and away.  EVERY SINGLE ONE, no matter how far he had to drive or if it meant leaving work early or giving up sleep.

He is the man who taught me what family means, sacrificing his time, money, and sleep to make sure his family had everything they needed. He made us feel safe and secure all the time.

He is a quiet man, who thinks before he speaks.  When he raised his voice it was for a reason, and to this day even though we are grown women we come running when he calls, not out of fear but respect.

He taught me how to be selfless and give to anyone and everyone who had less than me.

He gave me my deep love of music.  We played a game on the many road trips back and forth to Florida or Cedar Point or Up North. My sisters and I had to know  not only who was singing but the title and the words as well.   If not he rubbed my mom's head for the answer, which was hilarious and infuriated her in the process, so we tried to know the answer.

He is a wealth of knowledge, he truly knows everything.

He can be an imposing man, he has scared off many a boy from our house but he is really just a big softie.

He is the ultimate Papa.  Our kids adore him, he always has time for them.  Just saying we are going to Papa's house gets them excited.

I love my dad so much.  We have not always seen eye to eye and because we are so much alike we have often butted heads.  There was a time in high school between my 10th and 11th grade year that was particularly difficult but I was the oldest and I now know that he and my mom were just doing the best they could.


I truly could not ask for a better Daddy.  He has always been there for me, my sisters, my mom and his whole family.

I love you Daddy.