Dear Dad,
I’ve been writing blogs for a few months now. I wish you were around to read them. I know you would like them, but honestly I learned a lot of what I write from you, so I guess maybe you wouldn’t need to read them anyway. Usually they are about being strong mentally and physically or other things I’ve learned and try to pass on. But since it’s your birthday I thought I would write something a little more personal. I thought I might write a note to you.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for showing me how to be a man. That’s tough in a time like this. We live in the age of the Homer Simpson dad, where fathers are seen as bungling idiots who can’t figure out how to raise the blinds correctly, much less their children. But you didn’t live like that. And as a result my idea of the “dad bod” is skewed. Thank you.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for your unconditional love. Fathers of old emphasized work and respect but rarely gave their sons hugs or told them “I love you.” But not you. You were free with your love and you never failed to let me know you were proud of me. Even when I hadn’t done anything to be proud of. You probably already know how rare that is and how much that means to a young boy. But I’m just now figuring it out. Thank you.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for playing chess without your queen until I was old enough to play you on an even playing field. You’ve probably forgotten, but I can still clearly remember the first time I beat you with all your pieces. And you know what I remember the most? You were upset you lost (as any real Prather would be) but you were even more proud I beat you. It’s things like that a kid remembers forever. Thank you.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for being the dad that played sports in the street with us. I’m sure you were often tired from work. I know you had to be exhausted sometimes. But when you were home you were the father who came out to play with the neighborhood kids. Your old man hook shot in basketball was impossible to block and you looked silly on rollerblades playing street hockey. But that’s the image I have of a loving dad. Thank you.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for your support when I moved to Los Angeles. Not that it was unusual; you always supported your children no matter what we did. But leaving for LA was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and out of everyone you had the most reason to be upset that I was going. But when I left you said, “I don’t like that you are going, but I understand why you have to.” And I’ve always felt you were the only one who really did. You will never know how much strength that gave me. It’s something I’ll remember until the day I die. Thank you.
Dear Dad,
Thank you for the sacrifices you made. Thank you for making hard choices. You refused to work for a company that violated your conscience. You worked at a grocery store as a stock boy even though you were used to being the chief pilot on private airplanes. But you had a family to support so you did what you had to do. You were willing to be embarrassed for us. Others looked down on you, but trust me, they should have been looking up. We were. Thank you.
Dear Dad,
Having a father like you is rare. Now that I have a foster son I understand more than I used to. Every day I tell him four things I hope he always remembers. Four things I learned from you.
You are brave.
You are strong.
I love you very much.
And I am very proud of you.
Happy Birthday Dad
Your son,
John
