Dear Dad

Happy Father Day.

I know it’s been a while.  It’s been over 5 years since you left.  I have not visited you since you died.  I always had ambivalent feelings about our relationship when you were here and so I never really felt the urge to go to the cemetery.  I would say that I never really think about you but then I realize that it’s not true.

Every day when I look in the mirror I see your face and that reminds me of what you looked like.

Every time I speak to my kids I hear your voice, not mine, so that reminds me of how you sounded.

Every time I feel like I am going to over react to some stressful situation, I think of the story of the man and the jack, and so I calm down.

Every time someone tells me that I am a laid back guy I think of you and thank you for that.

I guess in many ways while we didn’t communicate so well, and lost so much that we could have had, there is so much that still remains of you.

Thank you Dad.   I love you.   Alan