Father's Day

My dad wears many hats. He owns about 25 baseball caps. Five of them are random hats bought by his kids as souvenirs from various trips. The rest of them are hats representing the St. Louis Cardinals, Bass Pro Fishing, and St. Mary's High School (his alma mater). Others wear their hearts on their sleeves. My dad wears his on his head.

He has other interests, of course. He is crazy about my nephew, his only grand child (thanks to me-- the one who has yet to reproduce). If he could have my nephew around 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he would. He doles out cash every time the kid walks in the door and says, "that's what grandpas are supposed to do." He also gets excited when my nephew calls or when my sister calls. He never used to be a phone guy.

My dad is also a music connoisseur. Most people don't know that he loves opera, big band, and most of all, The Beach Boys. His album collection is RIDICULOUS.

As dad gets older, it is harder for him to do the things he loves and it's kind of up to me to make things happen for him. There is not enough time in the day some times. I wish he had a fishing buddy who would pick him and his walker up at the house and take him to a shady spot at the lake once a week. I also wish he had a friend who would swing by and get him to his monthly luncheons with his high school classmates. Many days, I feel like I fail the man who worked so hard to make sure I had the best education and that I could play ball instead of having a job as a teenager. He guaranteed a childhood for his children because his ended at eleven when he had to go to work in his family's grocery store. I have to do better.

But today, I rolled out the gas grill and seasoned some delightful ribs. I whipped up his favorite twice baked potatoes and I baked a three-layer chocolate cake. All of this to say, "thank you and I love you." My dad is a pretty neat guy. And I am a pretty lucky gal.