My Dad

In 2008, before I was a husband, and before I was a father, I was a son on a trip with my Dad.  We went to New York to see the Yankees play the red sox at Yankee Stadium.  It was the last season of old Yankees Stadium.  Not old old Yankees Stadium.  I digress.  My Dad and I met my brother in New York.  He just happened to be visiting his best friend Joanna in New York at the same time.  We knew he would be there, we knew we would be there, so the three of us went to Yankees Stadium.  I don't know how exactly my Dad feels about that trip.  I know how I feel about that trip.  It was great.  Trying to figure out subway routes.  Taking the train out to the Bronx, the day before the game, to make sure we had the lay of the land.  We ate at Carnegie Deli...twice. We met Josh and Joanna at a little italian restaurant in Brooklyn.  They made everything form scratch.  It was the best pasta I've ever had.  I still think about it every now and then.  I haven't been able to to duplicate that meal.  My Dad and I went down to the World Trade Center site.  They were in the process of getting everything back together.  I think we saw the foundation of the new buildings that are there now.  We walked for miles and miles.  We took the ferry out to the statue of liberty.  Since my Dad and I feel the same way about a lot of things, when we got out to the island, we didn't get off of the boat because we both said well we saw her.  Are you good? Yep.  I'm good.  We then went to some little pub by Battery Park and had a couple of beers and went on with our day.  This is a small glimpse of a ton of memories that I've shared with my Dad.  I remember when the Longhorns won the National Championship in 2005, we watched the game in the loft of their house.  We didn't talk for the second half.  When Vince ran that last touchdown in on 4th and 10, we cried.

A lot of my memories with my Dad involve sports.  A lot of them don't.  I remember being a little guy and my Dad and Grandpa took me fishing for the first time.  My first rod and reel wasn't a snoopy pole.  It was a real rod and reel, but it was the perfect size for a little guy. I was so excited for the first cast, I couldn't wait.  I put everything I had into that first cast.  We were nowhere near the water.  My Dad and Grandpa seemed like they were a thousand feet ahead of me (it was probably only 20).  I let the line go and watched fly in the air, staring at the majesty of a beautiful cast, only to see it hook my Dad in the left shoulder.  I was a little worried about the anger that would ensue.  It didn't.  After my Grandpa got the hook out, he and my Dad were laughing.  My love of fishing comes from those two.

I remember how hard my Dad has worked.  When I was young, he worked in the oilfield during the oil boom.  We would have to go out to wherever he was working some nights just to see him for a little bit.  He would get back in from being on locations for three days, only to get a call when he got home, that they needed him back at work.  I was never bitter that my Dad worked like that.  I appreciated it.  I still do.  There wasn't anyone that ever outworked my Dad.  He taught me to put my nose to the grindstone and get the job done.  I think that one of the greatest gifts a Dad can pass on to a son, is a strong work ethic.  My Dad did that for me.

I wrote an emotional post for my Mom for Mother's Day.  I said that I've never seen my Mom be more of a Mom than I did in the last three years of Josh's life.  I'll say the same thing for my Dad.  I've never seen him be more of a Mom than...oh wait.  Ha.  I've never seen my Dad be more of Dad than he was to my brother than in the last three years of Josh's life.  My brother loved my Dad.  They disagreed on a lot of things.  My brother trusted no one on this planet more than he trusted my Dad.  My Dad was always so patient with Josh.  My Mom and I would get so frustrated sometimes.  My Dad didn't.  Not with Josh.  He was always so gentle and caring with Josh.  As the older brother, I used to think that he was being babied.  I look back now and know that Josh needed my Dad to be the Dad he was being.  I know that the hole in my Dad's heart for my brother will never be filled while we're still here.  He doesn't say anything to anyone.  We haven't even talked about it.  But I know that Josh being gone has hit my Dad harder than anyone.  I don't know the words to make it better.  I'll never know them because they don't exist.  Here's something that I know.  My two boys love their Pops a lot.  They trust him.  They want him to teach them everything they know.  I'm sure at some point in the near future there may be another hook in my Dad from one or both of his grandsons.

I love my Dad.  He is the most important man in my life.  He gave me a great example of how to be a husband and a Dad.  Most importantly.  He taught me how to hang in there during the tough times.  To not give up is the thing that I learned from my Dad.  There have been plenty of opportunities to quit, and he never did.  I love you Dad.  I'm glad you're my Dad.