Today I Honor My Father on His Birthday


My dad at the Mentor Car Museum during his visit to OH. 
(He had a truck just like this one when he was younger-I bet it wasn't quite as flashy though.)
While I've always admitted that my grandparents had a large hand in raising me I know that if my father weren't a part of my life, things would have been very different. (And for the worst)

I will admit that I learned a lot of what NOT to do in parenting from my Dad but
I also learned what TO DO. 

Love them... & discipline them.


Kids and parents both do not realize-
A child will always love their parent. No matter what. Parents don't need to pretend to be someone else, make more money, be stronger or have more stuff. They don't need to act tough, say yes all the time or be their kids' best friends...

They just need to be themselves...and love their kid.

I talk about how my childhood was not as positive as I would've liked it, and that's true. I tell people that I learned how to parent by using common sense and educating myself....ALL true.

But there are things which my dad never got wrong (and what makes him my HERO):
MY FATHER NEVER LEFT ME
MY FATHER ALWAYS LOVED ME
MY FATHER ALWAYS LISTENED TO ME
MY FATHER SPENT TIME WITH ME 
MY FATHER WORKED HARD
MY FATHER DISCIPLINED ME 
(The verdict is still out on whether he was too strict "wink wink")

BOTTOM LINE IS MY FATHER ALWAYS LOVED ME (and still does)

I feel like the luckiest girl on earth to have my dad:

WHO DREAMED OF HAVING A LITTLE GIRL NAMED "AMBER" ME!
WHO NAMED ME
NEVER GAVE UP ON PARENTING (OR ME)
FOUGHT FOR ME WHEN THE TIME CAME
ADMIRES ME (AND TELLS ME)
RESPECTS ME
LISTENS TO ME
CALLS ME
HUGS ME
TEACHES ME
TALKS TO ME
AND....
LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY

My father didn't have an easy life either. He had mountainous obstacles to climb both as an adolescent and as an adult, but he NEVER, EVER QUIT, not on me-not on himself-nor did he lose sight what was most important: his child.

YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION DADDY & I'M PROUD TO CALL YOU MY FATHER.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY- 

I LOVE YOU.

With All My Love,
Your Daughter,
Amber


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