For my Dad

When I think about it, I realize that I missed out on having a father.

I didn't have a father that just wrote the checks to pay for dance and music classes.  I had a Dad that  NEVER missed a recital and LOVED every stinking minute of it. 

I didn't have a father that was on-call as a doctor and never around. I had a Dad that gave up a life in private practice, and a great deal of money, so that he could be the family man he wanted to be. 

I didn't have a father that ogled and commented on other women and their looks. I had a Dad that only had eyes for my Mom and showed me what it meant to be respected by a man. 

I didn't have a father that wrote how much he loved me on a birthday card. I had a Dad that hugged and told me several times a day, because he knew how much a little girl needed her dad's affection. 

I didn't have a father that told me what I should do with my life. I had a Dad that supported my own decision to stop going to college and  move across the country to Las Vegas to be a professional dancer (That must have been a tough one Dad).

I didn't have a father with the fanciest car or most expensive things.  I had a Dad that wore the same shirts for 25 years and drove the same car until it was dead. 

I didn't have a father that threw in the towel when his marriage got rough. I had a Dad that stuck it out and made it work to keep our family together.

I didn't have a father that preached to me what kind of person I should become. I had a Dad that showed me every day. 

I didn't have a father that did the easy thing. I had a Dad that always did the right thing. 

Everyone has a father. I was lucky enough to have a dad.

I love you Dad. You and Mom are the reason I am. 

Tara