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Let's start this out by saying that I do not refer to my father as "father", with all the nonsense that comes with showing "the utmost respect" with that word.. I call him and he makes sure I call him this.. I call him *Dad*. The word shows that he's more than just your Dad, he's your friend, your his son, and the word Dad has more of a feeling of Love than the word "Father".
Though the title had to have a beginning to that was it.. no biggy.
MY DAD..
I wrote a whole big story a long time ago in which he may or may not have anymore though id read it every now and then and it'd bring me to tears. So many that Id struggle to even read the entirety of the paper.
I go back as far as I can remember and I remember him making copies of the Sunday comics for the my 2 brothers and myself.. On an old black and white copy machine that may or may not have come with the house.
I remember seeing him in his Post Master Uniform and how he smelt at 6am about to go to work every morning, right before my babysitter got to the house.
Whether he remembers or not. I remember the old Winnie the Pooh swing set, that he'd walk up to and see me sitting there and he would be getting out of his old brown van from work and walk up to the swing and push me a couple times.
Also I remember him doing all the things a father should do. Showing equality with his son's, never giving up on them no matter what and doing his damn best to be that father that everybody should look up too.
He doesn't realize he didn't have to try so hard, he was that guy just being who he was. And he still is today.
You look past the hard times. And we had it hard for a while. He has 3 boys, all only a couple years difference of one another, he lives in an expensive area to live in, and he's got to figure out how to keep a roof over our heads.
So we look past the fact that he'd work 3 jobs at once, and jobs that no man should have to work to make sure we had food on the table. Look past the fact he never could sleep at night and this is why he naps as much as he does.
Not let him know how much we do see though we ourselves don't realize how much we see or saw, until we are almost 30 years old and looking back at it all and wondering actually where it all went.
My absolute favorite time with my dad. Right Field Cards. A little place My dad and I called our own. Though the foolishness of being 13 and what came of that back then, I look back to the memories Of my dad and I just sitting in the garage (shop) during a sunny summer morning. Both with our coffee, and both at our "work tables" and both looking up cards and talking players names.
It was a simple time in I'm sure both our lives where we were both at peace.
That memory of those 6 years the shop was open cant be erased. It showed me the value of work and sacrifice.
The basement room, that went from an office, where he built things out of wood and screws. To the same room transfered into a lot of car models. To then something we both worked on (Sports Cards). And now it's a mess but at least cleaning it out will bring a lot of memories to the heart.
To my dad it's always been others before him. He's made sure we all love him and we tell him and use the words I Love You Dad and thats how it should be. There should be no fear in giving your Dad a hug. My finance doesn't have that kind of relationship with her "father". Ill make sure the next generation of "Mudges" love and there Dad and have no problem saying it or giving them a hug just to give a hug.
Growing up i've seen a lot of things and realized that my dad doesn't get the credit he deserves. People don't know the true meaning of sacrifice. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he does. He made sure his 3 boys in high school had good. Better than most kids, though we were not a "wealthy" family $$$$ wise. We were Wealthy because we had each other. We kept close and this is why he's looking back as his life and can finally see that he's done good.
His oldest son will be married by the end of June and I will also be married in the Fall. We all will be starting different lives, though we have all started that a long time ago. His youngest has his bachelors degree from a school that is ranked in the top 10 in the Nation. His sacrifice has shown us the true value of whats in front of you, and how to take care of what means the most to you.
Of course w/out his loving wife, our mother, life would not make sense, though I'll get to that in another long story. This ones about Dad.
From the "Sandbox" and special box in the garage you made for your kids. From the big wheels and swing sets, to coping the Sunday comics for us to all have a copy of to read, to seeing what matters most and getting josh into cars, me into sports and Zach into every imaginable thing there is for a hobby. To the pee-wee baseball coaching days,and trusting us with everything we did so young. The days where we'd sit in the basement and you'd play old rock and roll all day long and listen to it. The first time you got us a basketball hoop. No longer there we beat the hell out of that thing :) You were the first to realize I could write, and Play music. Not sure which one I enjoy more.
You saw what we didn't back then in us that makes us who we are today..
To helping change our attitudes, keeping us safe, making us see the side that life doesn't always show you. Warning us, but making sure we shouldn't be scared. Giving us strength. You Did Right.
Im ready to make that next step in my life. And Its hard to realize that it's here already.
I always said the words as a child "when i grow up and have kids" then I paused and realized there was so much more of life to have and go through to even mentally and physically prepare to be in a position like that. Then to being a 26 year old guy, getting married, haven't actually been home for good since in 5 years, I realize that I'm there, grown up, and ready to have kids. Ready to make my dad,a grandpa.
For all the reasons a Son tells his Dad he loves him. Dad I Love You. I'm not around a lot anymore, but you cant take memories away from anybody who wants to hold onto them and keep them. Thank you for being who you are, and showing me courage and strength. Making me realize what I am as a man and hoping that someday i can be just like you. And I know that If in the future, my kids look back at me and can say that im at least One-hundredth of person you are to me as a dad, than I must be doing something right.
I Love You Dad
Luke
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