A Road Less Travelled

Today is my father’s birthday. He is 55 today. Now I know I talk a lot about my mother, but my father is equally important and I hope to show him that by talking about him in a public place. Ready, Dad? The thing I miss most about living with my father is dinner time conversations. For a year it was just my dad, my mom, me and a college student who lived with us. Then for ten months it was just my dad, me and the college student who wasn’t always there for dinner. Dad and I would talk about whatever we were thinking about recently. We once had a conversation that spanned maybe two weeks of dinners. We would put it down when dinner time was over and pick it up the next day. When that topic was done there was usually another one waiting in the wings to be started. And off we’d go. When I think back to when I was a child it is easier to notice my mother in my memories. She is the bright colored one. But I remember the times Dad had to go to a conference or General Assembly and the house would just fall apart. Sometimes literally. And we joke that all the interesting things happened when Dad wasn’t there and some of that is true through no fault of his, but Dad is the man you can depend on when things go wrong and you end up not noticing them going wrong around you. Interesting times were things like Mom getting blood poisoning and a water main bursting. If Dad had been there those times wouldn’t have been half as interesting because he would have taken care of the problem. And our culture sneers at being dependable, but it is a marvelous virtue to have. My father is the wisest man I know. I have come to him with all manner of problem and he will come up with an answer that is mighty different than I expected and also very right. He has developed a boldness that says what has to be said. He is still tactful and careful not to needlessly offend anyone, but if someone needs to be offended my dad is probably first in line to do so. He’s told me off countless times and always when I needed it. It is not a gift that is very comfortable for the people around him, but no one said life would be comfortable. I hear stories about people who don’t talk to their fathers and people who just once want to hear that their father loves them and is proud of them. These stories make me very sad because I know how it is to live the other way. My father tells his children very often that he loves us and that he is proud of us. The second part is important because he didn’t raise any of us to succeed according to society’s plan and we are all doing a mighty fine job of that. The world looks at his children cross-eyed, but my Dad is very proud of us and he tells us often. And it really is that cool to hear your father say he’s proud of you. If I was ever going to move back to Erie the main reason would be my dad. Even my sisters come in below him on the list of things I miss. My father is the most important man in my life and he takes this role very seriously. I miss interacting with him on day to day things. I miss him bouncing ideas off me and his input on things I forget to talk to him about when I call. I am very grateful for the Dad God gave me and I wouldn’t trade him for the multiverse. Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you very much.