There is nothing like the sound of my Father’s laugh.  It’s all-encompassing.  Completely joyful.  And totally contagious.  My dad laughs so hard he cries and I’ll admit it – my tactic for evoking that laugh was and always will be my motivation when picking out a movie to watch together. Nope, no dramas in this lifetime, folks, because picking a funny movie provides a guarantee of hearing that laugh, and I can’t help it, Internet, laughter was and always will be my goal.

My daddy taught me to smile.  He taught me that what I think of my life is mind over matter and that I can do anything I believe I can or change the way I think I feel simply by making a choice.  My dad taught me to find it easy to smile and find the best in situations by making the choice to do so.  My dad is the kind of man that tells corny jokes, that tells his sons-in-law that he loves them, that completely radiates around his grandchildren, that loves ice cream, and is completely and utterly OBSESSED with Apple products. Oh, yes.  OB. SESSED.  iPad?  Check.  The new iPhone 4G?  Check.  iMac?  Check.  That app you’ve never heard of that does something utterly magnificent?  Check.  My dad loves his Apple products with a capital L.O.V.E and it is awesome.   My dad is a man that loves sitting on the beach with a good book or a riding the waves boogie board style.  I remember spending countless summers on the beach building sand castles and riding the waves with my dad.  I will also never forget the way his big arms would save me from waves I thought were sure to kill me or the feeling of safety he has consistently brought to my life.  My dad is the kind of man that goes in the water when his grandkids ask him to even if it’s the middle of December.  My dad is the kind of man that you would not mess with.  Trust me.  As a teenager, I always knew when I’d gotten to the point of no return when that look came over his face stating so clearly that I was seriously about to regret the decision I’d just made, but he is also one of the kindest, most tender men I’ve ever known.  My dad is the kind of man that loves my Mother in a way I am completely in awe of.  He is the kind of man that after 46 years of marriage, still writes love notes to my Mother.  Still brings her flowers.  Still teases her with such incredible love in his eyes.  Still pulls her on the dance floor when their song comes on, and still kisses her and holds her hand in front of us.  My dad is the kind of man that made me believe good guys existed when I was in college even when I certainly wasn’t meeting any of them.  My dad is the kind of man that helps others willingly and gives much of his time to serve the poor.    My dad is the kind of man that still remembers every math formula known to man and strongly believes in making all sorts of graphs and charts when making any well-informed decision.  My dad is the kind of man that told my dates they had precious cargo when driving me around and made sure they returned me by curfew. on. time.  I think there was only one time I was ever late, and let’s just say, it never happened again.  My dad is the kind of man that yells “Yee-ha” on roller coaster rides and that played 50′s music every Saturday to make chore time more fun.  He’s the kind of man that would go out after a long day at work to pick up my favorite ice cream or a pile of funny movies when I was sick.  My dad is the kind of man that dances with his grandkids and at every event I’ve ever been to, that would play what I thought was the most obnoxious music on the planet on our way to auditions to help me relax and laugh, and that did anything in his power to make us all smile.  My dad is the kind of man that always made me feel special and that loved his daughters and family the best way he knew how.   I don’t know how else to say it.  My dad is the man that showed me what a man, husband, and father should be all about and gave me the hope that I could find someone just as wonderful and I couldn’t be more blessed for the role he has and continues to play in my life.   I love you more than you could possibly know, Dad, and I am infinitely grateful to you for the man that you are.

A very happy Father’s day to you, my sweet Daddy, I love you so very much.  And wishing all the wonderful Daddy’s of this world a very happy Father’s day as well!

This photograph was taken in 1984 at Disneyland when I was 2 years old.  It’s one of my favorite image of my Dad and I.