my dad

Today is my dad's birthday. He turned 73.

My dad has gone through heart problems, cancer, etc. and he is still living. (He usually ends up in the hospital 2 or 3 times a year though.) I am so lucky that my dad is still alive. He grew up with 8 brothers and 4 sisters...only 3 brothers and 1 sister is still alive. 6 of his brothers fought in the 2nd World War (1 World War II veteran is still alive). My dad still has many stories and experiences to share with us about growing up and it is awesome that we get to share them with him.

When I was younger my dad used to tell us 'stocking stories' and sing us songs before we went to bed. The 'stocking stories' were stories from his childhood. (On a side note my niece will sometimes want me to tell her stories of my childhood before she goes to bed but they always end up sounding incredibly stupid and silly.) His stories were always so interesting (maybe because he had so many siblings). He would tell us stories like the time his brother started grade 1 and my dad was only 4 but he marched to the school, stuck a cigarette butt into his mouth (to make him appear older), and told the grade 1 teacher that (his brother) had to come out to play...or the time his brother got mad at him so my dad climbed a tree and his brother grabbed an axe and chopped it down...or the times my dad and his siblings would drop marbles onto guests' heads from the upstairs register. (It sounded like his mother had her hands full anyway.) Without my dad, who would tell these stories?

I am very lucky to have my dad!!