Why My Dad Is So Cool & Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Fathers’ Day out there and to those of you that are missing your father on this day, know that he truly lives on in you.  I am always struck by how I can see a person’s parent in their eyes or mannerisms.  So on this day, my heart goes out to those of you.  And to my Dad…you are so very cool and here is why…

You are truly one of the coolest Dads out there.  Taking the family to see a Pink Floyd concert when I was in college was definitely cool!  Taking your sweet grandson, my boy, fishing for his very first time on your boat (that you worked hard for) is a wonderfully cool memory for him and I know for you, too.  Asking your grandson, my sweet nephew, to be your best man in your upcoming wedding is beyond cool and I can’t wait to witness that!  Calling your granddaughter, my girl, Alley Oop, is a cool nickname for sure. When you first saw that little granddaughter perform as Maleficent in our community theater play and you leaned over to me with teary eyes and exclaimed what talent she possessed and how you could see how happy she was on stage…that was pretty cool, too.  You see, you seem to feel your family’s emotions, joys and sorrows and that has always ranked pretty darn cool in my book.

Yes, you are one terrific Grandpa and the kids are always so taken with your creative gifts for them that you think through, shop and ship to all of us, always.  You always remember the birthdays and that goes for your son-in-law, too. That is cool.  And here are some more fun and cool things…

I wish this photo wasn’t blurry, but it perfectly shows how proud you look in pictures with your family. That is sweet and that is cool.

The time you surprised us when you pulled up one Christmas holiday with a beautiful piano.  That explained why you drove the 1,000 mile trip instead of flying.  Watching my girl’s Grandmother (my amazing mother-in-law) teach my girl a song touched my heart.  That was very cool, indeed.

One of the coolest things about you is the number of animals that you have saved and nurtured through the years and the awesome lookout dog house that you built by hand for your dogs definitely rocks.

And how about when you went on a big road trip with several of your buddies all on Harleys!  When you came through our neighborhood, I could hear your arrival and I told my neighbors that the cool Harley rider was my Dad.  They definitely thought that was cool!  I’m kind of bummed right now that I can’t find that cool picture of my toddler girl sitting on your bike with an over sized helmet on her head to pose for a picture with her Grandpa Dennis.

Probably the coolest thing about you in my book is your strength of character, to do the right thing, to have a good work ethic and to be humble and compassionate.  These are definitely traits that you not only verbally expressed to me, but model yourself.

You helped me buy my first new car and taught me how to drive it off the lot since it was a stick shift!  You took me house hunting and we came back to tell my hubs that we had found the perfect first home and you were right on.  Pretty cool, indeed.  I have warm memories of going out to a job site with you as a kid and then later going swimming and out for ice cream.  You always made sure that our summers were fun with ice cream, trips to Six Flags…and how about that time I accidentally locked myself in the RV bathroom and you had to get me out?!  Funny and cool!

You have always cheered out loud when I called you with news of my engagement, first big career job at Southwest Airlines, the news that you would be a first-time Grandpa!  I love how you let your enthusiam show…and your emotion.   You have shown all of us that life is meant to grabbed by the horns, experienced with joy and with sorrow as we venture down the bumpy road called life.  I have called you both to cheer out loud (which you did) and to share tears in times of heartbreak.  True to your geniune nature, you always share those emotions right there with me, whether you are 1,000 miles away or giving me a big hug right then and there.  I love that you celebrated one of my boy’s big hockey goals with a shot of tequila.  That is very cool and I will never forget how you just couldn’t hold back the tears when you walked me down the aisle….and helped me to have the wedding of my dreams.  And one of the coolest memories that I cherish is the day you took my bridal portraits that everyone at the reception marveled over.  So cool, Dad!  The pictured has yellowed through the years, but the image and the memory is crystal clear and is firmly entrenched in my heart.

You taught me to work hard and earn the things that I wanted, but you also gave me more than I could have ever imagined.  So today on this Father’s Day, I say thank you and Happy Father’s Day!

And this, my sweet and very cool Dad, is why YOU are so cool!