Your bear-like hug,
The twist of your hair,
The way you laugh,
Your penetrating stare,

Your frown-y smile lines,
Your playful smirk,
The grays in your beard
That seem to work,

Your deadly sharp wit
And the occasional sneer,
Your bloody red eyes
After a few beers,

They way you love your family,
The way you forgive,
How you defend our right
To decide how to live,

How you hold our daughter,
And our little boy too,
They way you caress my face
As if I was still brand new,

Your insufferable moods,
Every scoff and scowl,
The way you let grudges go
And never throw in the towel,

Your defiant stance,
Your fist through the wall,
Your passion for us
Through the thick of it all,

All your achy joints
And your broken bones,
Every sickly season
I didn't suffer alone,

With all your merits and faults,
On the path or astray,
You fit me perfectly
In every possible way.

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I recall a sweet memory of playing dodge ball in the park,
In fourth grade,
Unaware of time
Or the setting sun.

You stood aside and watched me play with the boys,
Out of view,
But within earshot,
Yet you stood silent.

Long after you arrived, the game was finally over.
You stepped up.
I saw your straight face
And thought you were mad.

But you weren't upset, or tired of waiting.
With a smile,
You simply asked me,
"Ready for dinner?"


One of the things I learned from my dad is to let my kids live, play, and just be. Set guidelines, boundaries, but never be harsh or limiting. I remember feeling extremely nervous after that dodge ball game, after spotting my dad at the gate entrance of the park. I knew my mom had sent him to come get me - I hadn't realized how late it was.

But he waited. He didn't rush me. He didn't interrupt the game, the moment, the afternoon in the park. He looked like he had been there for a while, and I was sure he was angry with me. But he wasn't, not one bit.

Fast forwards thirty-some years later, my own son and my husband were in the park one evening when I wanted them to come home for dinner. I called my husband on his cell phone and he said our son was having so much fun with his friends that he didn't want to stop it. Of course, I didn't either. I saved their dinner for later.

My hubby with my son watching the sunset.