We never know how long we'll have our loved ones with us. I've been especially blessed-I still have both of my parents here on earth with me. I don't take that for granted...ever.
You see, my parents adopted me when I was six years old. Rescued would be a more descriptive word. It hasn't always been easy or perfect but we survived...each other, life's unexpected surprises, and the roller coaster ride that all families experience. We're just like any other family...a little dysFunctional but the love and support is something I can always count on.
I've "become" many things over the years just because I was blessed and allowed to become a part of this family... Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Wife, Mother, Grandmother. Each step has made me the person I am today. Each experience has given my heart a chance to grow and expand. Each family member has enriched my life.
Through it all, the good and the bad, the most beautiful moments and the ugliest, the most glorious and the most tragic...my Dad has been there. He isn't perfect but then again he IS human. He survived ME and because of that I strongly suspect he has super powers he has yet to reveal :)
He has served God, Country, and Family. He has survived "The Great Depression", World War II, a heart attack, the loss of his hearing, and many heartbreaks along the way. He has been blessed with a sharp mind, a faith in God that never wavers, a marriage that has endured for 65 years, the parenting of a son and daughter, the birth four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Most importantly, for me at least, he has been my Dad. He has loved me as his own. It is admittedly selfish of me to make this claim. While it may not have been HIS greatest achievement in life it has been one of the greatest acts of love and kindness in MY life.
Thanks Dad for indulging me with love, patience, funding :), and understanding when I least deserved them. I thank God every single day for the gift of YOU!
Happy Birthday :)
