Today is my dad's birthday

The cycle of a girl’s life:Daddy’s little girl. Rebelling against her father. Marrying someone just like dad. Daddy’s little girl (revisited).

Notice a theme here? A women’s life seems to be wrapped up in, woven through and contingent upon her dad. Boy, am I glad it was you!

You taught me about life. What to expect from it and what to give back to it. These are the things I learned from you:

*Stick with it. No matter what it is or what other people are telling you, stick to your convictions. Nobody else can dictate my convictions.

*Family first. #1 question, “Will it be good for my family?” There will be plenty of ‘distractions’ along the way. I need to stay focused on the important.

*Check the other side. There is more than one way to see a problem. You may have to look at it from a different angle. You may even have to turn it upside down!

*Keep your mouth shut. Advice is free, don’t make it cheap too! Let demand determine supply.

*Anger is a tool and must be managed properly. Sometimes it gets the better of you. You gotta keep doing the best you can and get a little better at it each time. I know I’m not perfect and that’s ok.

*Help others. There are people that I can help. Everything from sharing a drink with a neighbor to helping someone run their business. I need to see those opportunities and do what I can.

A women will also watch her dad and then, consciously or subconsciously, expect those attributes in her man. This is what I expect from my man:

*I expect him to provide for us. No matter what - no excuses.

*I expect him to protect me. Protect me from the world, other people, and yes, sometimes even myself!

*I expect him to always be here. I know there will be times - scary times - that things don’t look good, but when all the dust settles, I expect him to still be standing there.

*I expect him to encourage me to be my best.

*I expect him to see in me what I cannot see - and then to help me develop that.

*I expect him to be human. It’s ok to blow it, because I know he’ll continue to strive for the above!

Dad, all the things I have learned and all of my expectations are because you have lived those things before me. I just wanted to take this time to let you know that.

You didn’t have to be a dad to me, you chose to. I appreciate you more than you know.
I love you.

Happy Birthday!!