Daddy-0-

I don't remember much about Father's day from when I was a kid. I think I must have gotten him the odd screw driver set and the occasional tie. I do remember being very excited to be able to get him a gift and show him how much I loved him. I remember other things too. How all the kids in the neighborhood liked to come to my house, not to play with me but to play with him because he was by far the funnest dad in the neighborhood. He would sink to the bottom of the pool and let us stand on his back and then explode out of the pool launching us in to the air, thank god I was already wet so no one noticed when I would pee my pants from laughing so hard. He held my hand and tried his best to brush my hair. He took me camping and fostered  my love of scrabble and the need to cheat at board games. He called me his rain girl and taught me the song somewhere over the rainbow after I fell in love with Judy Garland and wanted to be Dorothy. He read me stories and made me smores, tucked me in at night. I learned how to ski while riding on his and learned how to use a saw under his watchful eyes. He filled my heart with enough love and happiness that it has lasted this long still full to the brim. I miss him so much. 

I think of him the most when I see Darren be a father. When he teaches them how to ride there bikes and tosses them in the air. When I hear peals of laughter and screams of delight. I find myself feeling so accomplished. That I found this great dad for my kids. That someday they will be full of memories and love when were gone. If I could give him one gift it would be the knowledge of what it is he does every day and how important he is to four very special beings.