A V-Day and a B-Day

Today is my dad’s birthday. He would have been 62.  Growing up, I always thought it was so cool that his birthday was on Valentine’s Day. Then I think I probably went through a stage where I felt bad for him…having to share a birthday with a holiday.  Like you don’t get as many gifts. And people forget it’s your birthday. Etc….

Dad’s 60th B-day

 

Looking back, it seems fitting that my dad shared a birthday with a day that really epitomizes what my Dad thought life was about….love. Hallmark holiday or not, my dad loved Valentine’s Day.  He loved showering us with love, especially my mom of course. But I remember little surprises for me too. Like the year he gave me (and my mom) a diamond heart necklace….my boyfriend had just broken up with me and I had just sprained my ankle, ending my basketball season.  Talk about tragic for a 16 year old!!! 

 

But Dad didn’t need a day to show us he loved us.  Mom takes him shopping (and he never complained!!) and sees something she likes, well, guess who comes home with that. No matter how many she already had “just like it” or how much it costs. My brother saw something he wanted for hunting or his boat….pretty soon it would be his.  Sports camps, top of the line volleyball shoes, vacation days spent taking care of my kids so I could go do something fun…..consider it done.

He didn’t do it to be showy.  He didn’t do it because he wanted something in return. He did it because he loved us. Period.

I’ve thought about him a lot this week with all this snowy weather. Bad weather excited him….he would be a ball of energy, probably driving my mom crazy right now. He would have called me 100 times already, getting the latest weather update. Seeing what the kids thought of the snow.  He would have already talked to a bunch of his salesman who were up in this area, getting the report from them too.  You know, verifying that I was indeed “fine”.

Funny how it is this weather that would have excited him so much that is maybe making it so I can’t travel to Beaufort this weekend to be with mom.  Bring on the warm weather! He liked that better anyway!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!! I know you are having the most awesome birthday party ever.