To my dad, with love

From the moment I appeared on a November afternoon, we fell in love with each other. For quite a while, you were the only man in my life, and for some time after that, you were the only sensible man in my life.

I still remember listening for your car up the driveway and waiting to throw my arms around your neck from the living room stairs. I remember falling asleep to a back scratch- I still do! I remember doing Mills Brothers imitations together in the den.

I remember more recently going together to get your colonoscopy and trying to help you get less nervous and cheering you on. You saw me through the usual coughs & colds (Nurse Daddy!), broken hearts, skinned knees ( I was always falling, wasn't I? But you always picked me up), triumphs and tragedies; hormonal hell, hard times, bailed me out when I was sick, broke, or both.

If something was wrong, if I needed a hug, if I needed cash, if I needed advice, if life had let me down, if someone else had let me down, if I let myself down, I always knew I could call you and you would do what you could to help, or just be a listening ear. I guess some people don't have that. But it's comforting to know, even when I don't need anything, that if I did, there's always a dad to come to the rescue.

And if I needed someone to go to bat for me, I knew my dad would be the first in line and no one would try harder to help me reach that goal, whether it was to avenge a wrong or get me the best deal or secure the wedding site I had my heart set on. If anyone could do it, my dad could do it.

It has to feel good to know that someone believes that you could do anything, doesn't it Dad? I know because I think we believe that about each other. Maybe in different ways, but the feeling is still the same.

Has any of that changed? Not a whit. I'm still the little girl reaching up on tippy toes, standing on the toilet seat because the only thing in the world I want right now is to shave my Daddy. She's still in there. But now she's got another guy to go to bat for her. Lucky me, I've got two!

I count myself so fortunate to have a great dad and a great husband who get along so well. You may not have thought so for a long time, but now I can finally say that I have great taste in men- I picked you to be my dad and Jeff to be my husband.

I don't think there's anyone who would fault me on my taste. My hand hasn't slipped away from yours at all, I've got one for you and one for Jeff- just the right amount, we just have to stretch a little more to make them reach. I love you, Dad. MDLM