My Father, My Hero

Father's Day is almost over, but I would lilke to take this opportunity to write about my dad, who was the hero of my life. I'm not sure if I ever fully expressed that to him while he was alive, because we came from a family that was uncomfortable with expressing what we really felt.

A gentle man who hated war, he was a career military officer who served in 3 wars (World War II, Korea and Vietnam). He fiercely loved his God, his family, and his country, and would go to any ends to defend them. I always knew he was there for me. He taught me to ride a bike, to drive a car, and drove me to college the first time I was away from home alone. He  picked up the pieces when I went through a divorce. My children consider him the man of their lives. He was always a man who found it difficult to express his emotions. He found it hard to say "I love you," but I always knew he did. He was the cheerleader of my life - always there to say "I know you can do it." The amazing thing was that he never saw me for who I am with all of my faults, but for who I could be.

I miss him more than I could ever imagine posible. He rescued me so many times - from a rat in my wall; keys locked in my car; children who were sick at school and had to be picked up. Most of all I miss being able to pick up the phone and run an idea by him; to hear his encouraging voice; to know he is nearby.