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| My dad's awesomer than yours! |
A few minutes later, I realized that I had too much material to fit into a Hallmark card and that I could probably write a freaking book about it.
I started off with a few thank you's:
---Thanks for being the very fair and unbiased judge in all our sister fights, even if we were fighting about hair ties. I don't know how you managed to be so patient. You gave us lessons in fairness, and taught us that logic has a place in emotional disputes.
--Thanks for leading by example by being the most perfectly honest man anyone will ever meet. You're the kind of guy who will always do the right thing, even if nobody's looking and even if it means you'll have to work harder or 3 hours longer. Whenever I'm faced with a difficult moral decision where I"m on the fence, I ask myself what my dad would do. And then I do it.
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| The proper word for this car is a jalopy. Thanks for helping me fix my jalopies! |
--Thank you for the countless times you fixed my broken $500 cars. And thanks for teaching me how to do a brake job. I'm the only girl I know who can do that.
--Thanks for taking every opportunity to dole out life lessons that stuck. In kindergarten, I remember lying to you about eating Pixie Stix that I'd secreted. I wasn't supposed to be eating them and I knew it because I had already brushed my teeth. You asked me what I was doing and I said nothing, quickly stashing the candy bag under the dresser. Instead of getting mad, you sat me down and told me that damaging trust by lying was like putting a crack in a fine China plate. You can glue it back together with apologies, but you'll always still see the crack no matter what. I will never forget that lesson.
--Thanks for supporting me when I told you that I wanted to be a writer, a singer, a pilot, a mechanic, a lawyer, a painter, a poker player, a veterinarian, a dog trainer and any other crazy career I chased for two weeks than abandoned.
--Thanks for rescuing me when I found myself in Virginia, at a Liberty Gas Station with no gas in my car and a wallet that was 259 miles away.
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| Those bike riding lessons you gave us were awesome! Finally got rid of my training wheels! So what if it was last week... PROGRESS! |
--Thanks for all the day trips you took us on when we were growing up. You and mom took us to museums, libraries, festivals, car shows, on long drives to look at leaves, to parks. Spending time with you two was my favorite part of my childhood. I appreciate it so much more now that I realize how neglected some kids are growing up.
--Thanks for having kids! Of course I'm happy that I'm one of them but also, I love that I grew up with sisters who were intelligent, beautiful and who will be my best friends throughout my whole life. They're a gift.
--Thanks for hugging me when I felt small, scared, sad, or overwhelmed. Which was a lot because I'm a girl and I'm emotional and because I've had a lot of terrible boyfriends and I'm bad at paying my bills on time.
I could thank you at least a thousand more times for always being a solid rock of emotional support in my crazy fickle life but I'll just stop now and say I love you dad!
Happy Fathers Day!!!
PS. I'm inserting this hyperlink in lieu of actually penning the message in the Hallmark card... then you can thank me... for sparing you the task of deciphering my horrible handwriting (that I inherited from you!!!!)