Happy Father's Day...

Happily rubbing daddy's feet?

Well that can only mean one thing,

It must be Father's Day.

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We sure do love that daddy of ours

He's the best.

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Rick and I both had great dad's too and we miss them on this special day, but we find comfort in knowing that we will all be together again.
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The last Father's Day I spent with my dad was 19 years ago. I can't believe he's been gone so long. On that day I wrote him a poem that he loved. He said he wanted it read at his funeral (he was fighting Leukemia) but I didn't want to hear that kind of talk. He just had to get better. But he knew, deep inside he knew that the day was coming and four short months later he was gone. Although I didn't grant his request by reading my poem at his funeral (that would have been way too hard) we did print it on the program.
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He told me the reason he loved the poem was because it describe the kind of father he had always strived to be. He was a man who believed in free agency and he tried to teach and guide his children with this in mind. He was a wonderful counselor and confidant and I will always miss our long, meaningful talks.
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I don't know where I've put a copy of my father's day poem but I'll try to write it now from memory as a tribute to my dad. Hope I get it right.
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You never treated me as just a child,
You made me feel more like a friend.
You gave me freedom to explore the earth
With the comfort that on your hand I could depend.
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You let me know that my thoughts mattered,
That I had a mind to decide,
But when I felt to overwhelmed on my own
I could always run to your arms and hide.
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You'd watch with loving tears when I'd fall
And look on with great pride when I'd climb,
You took the role father and added to it friend
I'll always be grateful you're mine.

(old family picture, minus Laurann. I'm the taller of the white dress wearing girls.)