Dad, you’ve done more than you could ever imagine for me. I am so proud to be your son, and I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have you. I know I was a terror of a child, maybe not doing as well as I could have in school, or messing around outside and making a mess of the house. But I want you to know I am lucky to have you.
1. You paid for stuff that I didn’t need, and we didn’t have the money for.
You know all those baseball gloves I have? Yeah, I didn’t need them all but you got them for me every couple years. Along with those bats, sometimes totaling 300 bucks, I look back and am astonished you paid that much. Don’t forget those incredible summers of travel ball that cost a fortune but are memories I will never forget.
2.You had my back against mom, when you probably shouldn’t have.
I’m sitting at the dining room table getting screamed at by mom for leaving something out that I shouldn’t have. You walk in and take the blame for it, knowing she’d then turn on you, but you still did it just to cut me some slack.
3.You played catch with me every chance you got.
Its scary to think you caught me from the time I was little, up to this point. You’ve taken countless 80 mph fastballs off the shins, and come right back. That’s more than I can say about most people. Ever since, every catcher I have has to live up to your standards.
4.You taught me more than school ever could.
You taught me how to shoot a bow, how to fish, how to skin them and cook them. How to change a tire (over the phone I might add), after I blasted the curb in the Marshalls parking lot at 2 AM.
5.Most importantly, you showed me how to be a dad.
Not in the typical sense, either; yeah the hunting and fishing and car repairs are manly dad stuff, but you had and showed the true mark of a father. You treated all seven of us right and more importantly, you treated mom right. She is just as lucky to have you as all of us are.
So thank you dad, for being an inspiration. Thank you for being a supporter, and thank you for being a teacher. Thank you for the endless amount of time in the catchers position and the seemingly endless hours behind the wheel of that car on our way to god only knows where to play baseball. I could not ask for a better person to show me the ropes.
Your loving son, and biggest fan.
