Today is my Dad's birthday. If you ask him how old he is, he'll tell you 19. He's been 19 for my whole life, and he will be forever I think. It doesn't matter that 7 of his kids are older and the youngest is 19 too.
Since I live so far away, we will not being doing anything special with him today, but I am going to do my typical blog for family birthdays and share some of my favorite memories.
When I was in 3rd grade, I seemed to be having a tough time. I was #4 our of 7 at the time, too little to go with the big kids and too big to go with the little ones. One day my Dad came into my room where I had been banished to clean it and he told me he noticed that I acting a little bit sad lately. He said we needed to plan a date and go somewhere, just the 2 of us. I was SO EXCITED. Later in the week, probably on a Saturday, I got to go with my Mom and Dad to Tigerd (OR) and we went to Subway. I even got my own sandwich. That is my first memory of doing something with both of my parents without any of my siblings.
I can see him late at night watching TV with a bowl of popcorn and a can of Pepsi, or Chips and Dip and a can of Pepsi. In the last few years he has switched to Mt. Dew, but the image is the same. We've had many good talks, good laughs, and good cries watching TV late at night and drinking Pepsi.
I LOVE MUSIC!! So does my Dad. Since I was in high school we have spent hours together listening to music, trying to stump each other on what the title of the song is, who sings it. Even now that I live over 1700 miles away, one of us will call the other, and ask, "Who sings this?" Then the volume goes up loud and we have to name that tune as fast as we can. Many friday nights at 5 PST and 7 CST we will be on the phone listening to the same 5 O'clock song on the local country radio station. I uploaded it to YouTube so you can hear it if you want to.
One time when I was visiting home and my Mom was out of town for the night, my Dad took Gina and I to Red Robin. We ate french fries for almost 2 hours and Gina and I told the waiter it was my Dad's birthday. (it was summer time, we fibbed) They sang to him and gave him crazy glasses. We all took turns wearing them. It was a very fun night.
I've learned many things from both of my parents and I am like both of them in many ways. I think I've my inability to act my age, quite often, was inhereted from my Dad. In is ripe old age of 19,. he has learned the time and place a little better than I have, but I still have some years to figure it all out.
Dad on your 19th birthday, I hope you have a wonderful day! I love you so much and I'm often sad that we don't live closer. Thank you for buying my first Neil Diamond Tape, Beautiful Noise is still my most favorite song by him. Thank you for calling me on your commutes and for getting your Temple Recomend back and for staying worthy to use it. I love you!
Most!
No comments:
Post a Comment