Happy Birthday To My Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday.

It's hard to think of something creative and inspirational to say. I want him to know how much I love and appreciate him, but those words just seem to fall a little flat.

Instead, I'll tell you what I love about my Dad. Because, really, I have the very best one. You might think yours is the best, but you'd be wrong. At least you'd be wrong in my book, and today that's all that matters.

My Dad is generous. He thinks he's not, but he is. With his time. With his money. With his love. He will find a way to give you what you need...even it means going without something he might need.

My Dad has an amazing sense of humor. He is able to laugh at life and himself and even in the worst of times, he can find something to laugh about. And he can give you something to laugh about, too. I remember him wearing a surgical glove on his head for a few hours when I was in the hospital when I was eleven and making my sister laugh so hard after her C-section that she thought she had bust her stitches even though her baby boy was down the hall in the NICU.

My Dad is kind. He seems to be able to find those people who feel on the fringe and make them feel that they belong. Maybe it's because he loves people. Maybe because he knows no other way. Maybe it just boils down to the fact that he is kind.

My Dad is loyal. He and my mom have been (mostly) happily married for 36 years. There have been really bad times. There have been really good times. He still loves my mom (you can read about it HERE). Are they just lucky? Maybe. Happy? Mostly. Determined? Definitely.

My Dad is a teacher. He's good at it. Whether it be teaching his children to drive or run or play soccer or teaching a Bible class at church, it comes naturally to him. Even when not in a traditional role, he's a teacher.

My Dad is godly. His faith has not been easily won. Sure he was given a leg up in this faith-world by having amazing, godly parents who led amazing, godly lives, but his faith is his own and hard-earned. I've watched him struggle and wrestle and come out with an unshakable trust in the Lord. He comes as close to anyone I know as knowing the heart of God because he spends ample time in His presence. This has blessed my mom and me and my siblings and everyone who knows him more than anything else. This real faith radiates from him and cannot be hidden.

My Dad is a great grandparent. He loves my children. He sees the very best in them even when I can't. They know, as do their cousins, that no matter what, Grandaddy loves them and always will. They cannot do anything to change that.

My Dad is a rebel. Oh sure, you might not think so when you see a 50-something, middle-class man, but deep down there's a rebel. Not so much the traditional kind who lives a life of hard living and bad choices. But he's never been one to "go with the flow". He'd much rather rock the boat and push people to think and inspire them to change and grow. His (unofficial) motto is "Some dust never settles"...he stole it from a Harvey Davidson catalogue geared toward the Baby Boomer generation. Just tell him that things have to be done a certain way because they always have or that he can't do something and wait and see what happens.

My Dad is a great cook. My Dad is a hard-worker. My Dad is a great friend. My Dad is a reader. My Dad is sentimental.

My Dad is truly the greatest. And it's his birthday.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

I love you.