Remembering Dad

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There are just so many days when I think about Dad and all the things he taught me.

Basically every day.

And now that I'm older I find his voice in my voice more often than not.

I see his face in my face when I look in the mirror and shake my head thinking things are tough.

But he taught all of us to battle through.

More than anything else it was his greatest gift to his children.

Keep punching.

And there are certainly moments, like this morning, when I think:

'Man, there could have been so much more.'

But what was there, and is still there, is so much to be thankful for.

I was talking to my brother the other day and a Dad story was shared and laughed over.

"He certainly left it all on the table," I said.

"Oh yeah," my brother said. "He squeezed a lot out of his years."

As I hung up the phone I once again wished for more, but when you're given a tremendous gift it's really impolite to wish, after enjoying every minute of that gift for so many years, that the gift had been larger.

Besides the gift is still giving.

It will give to my kids and their kids for years and years to come.

That's the really cool part about living right.

Dad's gift never wanes.

Happy Birthday.

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