The guy who picked me up from morning kindergarten and would agree to walk home really fast so I could watch the second half of Sesame Street while we ate lunch. The guy who sat through years of hot stuffy gymnastics meets with a camcorder. The guy who took me to the Ninja Turtles Movie and let me sit in the front row of an empty theater. The guy who did hundreds of ‘underducks’ on the swings at the park. The guy (the over six foot guy) who hid behind a foot and a half tall shoe rack to win at hide and seek. The guy who taught me the rules to all the major sports while we sat snuggled on the couch watching games. The guy who would always read movie introductions and subtitles out loud just to make sure everyone could keep up. The guy who survived my middle school eye-rolling stage. The guy who waited for me in the rain outside the main office to pick me up from my first school dance. The guy who kept his cool after I ran into the garage three times during high school. The guy who always slipped me a twenty when he came to visit me at school and told me to get a treat on him. The guy who welcomed me back home after college and doesn’t complain that I still haven’t left.

The guy who has a birthday tomorrow.

Love you, Dad!