To my wonderful Dad on his 52nd birthday......

I put gray hair on your head while growing up, you loved me anyway
I threw secret little parties at your house while you were out of town, you loved me anyway
I crashed your Classic Monte Carlo with only 28,000 miles on it, you loved me anyway
My ex-boyfriend broke your favorite Red Wing glass picture in the basement, you loved me anyway ( I never did replace that and I live with regret now!)
I used to annoy you with my health concerns for you, you loved me anyway
I called you guys daily, except for the day you died, I know you still love me.... anyway......

I miss you coming to my house in Cincinnati and making a wonderful meal and your skills of hanging things perfectly.

I miss all of the visits in Chicago, Watertown and Plymouth, MA and the memories shared.
I miss you power washing my deck, just because you felt like it.
I miss you unloading my Dishwasher when visiting, and having coffee ready by 6am.
I miss you cutting up my Food as a child into my late Teenage years, that is why I am still not that great with a knife.
I miss snowmobiling in the Winter or Tubing in the Summer as you pulled Christina, Justin and I around the lake screaming.
I miss campfires together up-north and our old Cabin that we grew up in and would pack the house with so many family and friends, the kids always had the floor.
I miss your complaining about your back pains and your funny one-liners such as, "oh-they must have left off the left blinker light in that model" or, "honey, speaking of loons, where's your Father?" (he was totally kidding as he loved Grandpa!) or, "I'll be right back" or our dinner prayer growing up..."God is good, God is great, let us thank him for our food, YEAH GOD! Amen" or "my favorite son-in-law" (he only had one son-in-law) or "my #1" (Chris, he only said this to me because I moved away and he no longer had to provide me with financial support!) :-)

I miss your instinct for direction, why did Christina and I not get this gift? Matter of fact, I am getting your daughter a Garmin for her birthday- she continues to get lost daily.
I miss your Polish food, in particular your kalbasa and sauerkraut and City Chicken.
Although yelling at you while you did it, I miss watching you make your drink, and the hearing the famous sounds out of your mouth after you took a sip after a long day of work outside, AAAAHHHH!
I miss Holidays and you taking the long way in Wyandotte on the way to Grandpa's so we could see the houses lit up.
I miss hearing your voice and laughter.
I miss your rock gardening skills, I still want to go back to our condo in Plymouth, MA where you built a rock garden surrounding our mailbox that you installed, I wonder if it's still there, it has to be.......

I miss you and your obsession with LOBSTERS!

This Saturday you will be 52 years old and many of us will feel tremendous sadness but also overjoyed with the memory of you and what happiness you brought to our lives. You were never judgemental and always honest and just a barrel of laughs.

I will miss you, on your 52nd birthday and every day after.

Your life was too short, but it was a life well lived, even if there was stress at times. We all have our stress in life, but I think you had more fun then about anyone.

Now...make a wish.

Love~your girls