Birthday Shout Out to my Dad – Someone I Admire

Thirty two years ago August 15th at 5:44 pm, my mom gave birth to me during the Beverly Hillbillies.  I was a month early, and was so small that my parents had to dress me in doll clothes for the first few weeks.  My parents were so happy that I was healthy, but my dad was especially thrilled because I was born on his birthday.  He says I’m the best gift he has ever received, and as much as I want to believe that is true, I’ve sure made him second guess it a few times during my teenage years.

Sharing a birthday with my dad rocks!  We have a celebratory dinner with our family, and Grandmary (his mom and my grandma) is making an appearance this year all the way from Florida.

There’s really no one I look up to more than my dad.  We always joke that he is perfect, but in my eyes, he really is the closest thing I know to perfection.  I thought since it is our birthday, I would share with the internet world why I admire and love my dad so much.

He’s real nice.  The first thing people always say about him is how nice he is.  My dad really is one of the kindest people I have ever met.   He lives by the rule if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.  He’s not passive aggressive either, bur rather will keep his opinions to himself and gives everyone he meets a smile and a fair shot.  He did this for all my high school boyfriends, which is proof enough that he has a heart of gold.  Maybe he journals all his negative feelings, I’m not sure – he is a little private, but this is one quality I work on constantly and admire him for.

He’s a financial wizard.  My dad’s also really good with money.  In the sixth grade, I was assigned a project on comparison shopping.  When I told my dad about his, he was all over it.  We looked at boom boxes, yes boom boxes.  We went to Best Buy, Radio Shack, Circuit City– do any of these stores still exist?  Amazon was not a thing, and it took a little more investigating to find what you need at the best price.  Thanks to him, I aced the project and also learned the Terry Thomas way of financing that has helped me become a smart saver and investor.

He’s creative.  I admire my dad for his creativity.  He loves music and played the guitar for years.  When I was a kid, he would plug his mustard yellow electric guitar into his amp and rip the Money guitar solo from Pink Floyd.  Beyond his love for music, he is a writer.  He writes for Preston Kelly, a local ad agency, and was always there to look over my papers, resumes, and college applications.  He loves to think outside the box and loves to weave his words with humor.  Here is a solid sample of his work- from PK’s old client, Taco John’s.  If you wanna see a monkey riding a dog- check out Whipflash. Warning- you will want to buy a monkey, dog, and a burrito in that order.

I really could go on and on about my dad.  I can’t thank him enough for all the things he has done for me and always having my back.  His kindness, intelligence, and creativity have helped me believe in myself and shape me into who I am today.  Whenever I’m stuck in a rut, feeling down, or need advice or inspiration, he’s the first one I call.  I’m so grateful for him, and on this day, I can’t help but celebrate his existence!  Without him, I would not be here, so thanks dad!

You there— let’s celebrate the people that inspire us and bring us joy.  It’s so important to show some love and appreciation for those that we admire in the world because, like my dad, they wont’ be around forever and showing some gratitude now puts some much needed good energy out there.

Logging off now to enjoy some much needed sunshine and fingers crossed-  birthday cake.  Take care friends!