Today is my dads Birthday and he is 86… Amazing…(though I have to admit hearing the statement of “85 and still alive” will not be missed, though I wonder what he will come up with for this year LOL)
86 is amazing really, but I must say Dads stories and Life is even more amazing than that number. When we talked, recently, he brought up his adventures of being in the navy, his first job at travel town in LA and how he put himself through law school (at 35$ a unit btw…. um jealous) how he became a successful businessman and helped many humans in the field of Law. But even more amazing was that he was a great dad. I could go on and on about that part of his life but the one thing I would like to share is that my dad was always around at every sporting event, school function, and birthday party I was involved in. Did he work hard… sure he did but he made the effort to be there, every time (even if he brought a client or two so he could multitask!)
I learned something from him as a kid and I’ve used it every day as a mom…. Always tell your kids that they can be anything they want to be and take the time to listen, support, not judge and just be together!
Best lesson learned not only for my dad and I but also for my kids and me. So, thank you for being an awesome Dad!
Love your daughter who appreciates your teaching and love every day!
p.s I wrote this below letter a couple of years ago ad it seems it is still relevant because I see people judging and treating others without respect all the time. So, this year my gift is to spread the work of NOT JUDGING and taking the time to acknowledge those who have been “around” to make a difference for many many years!
Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes – Before Judging
Don’t snap people you have no clue what others are going thru…
Letter:
To the gentleman on the fast people walker thing in the Vegas airport….
I know you said “excuse me” to my dad hoping he would move….I understand your frustration when he did not…. And I heard you when you said “ok then don’t move just stand there” as you walked by.
What you did not take the time to notice was this……
My dad is 83 and very hard of hearing, so, he did not hear your whisper of excuse me. My dad thankfully did not hear your non-understanding comment when you stated, “don’t move just stand there”.
I know there was no way of you knowing his story from the last 24 hours but…
My dad spent 8 hours at the airport yesterday, only for his flight to be cancelled, he did not get into a room until after 11pm, due to the check in lines at the hotel he was unfamiliar with all because he was told that is the only place the airline would put him up.
Lastly, I wish you could hear the disappointment in his voice, when he states he will now have one less day visiting his grandson, knowing it might be the last time he will be able to travel on a plane or anywhere for that matter.
So, I say… To the gentleman on the fast walker thingy in the Vegas airport…. I feel sorry for you that you cannot live in the NOW and that you cannot be understanding towards a man who has lived twice your age and is still striving for one more adventure before he leaves this planet after a lifetime of fun inspiring and understanding…. May peace be with you!
Blog Note: My dad has only seen his grandson once since that weekend, but he still talks about it a lot! I thank the universe for allowing us to make our arrival (though later than planned) and I am blessed to still have my dad around.
