Daddy Daughter Days

Starting way back at the beginning, I remember how he used to regularly hoist me up on top of his shoulders and take me down to the kitchen for a "night snack" when I was a little kid. Ice cream was a favorite, but the snack that made the biggest impression on me was when he toasted a piece of Italian bread, topped it with a sliced tomato, drizzled on some olive oil, and sprinkled it with salt. I was convinced it would be awful—but it was actually quite good.

Around the same time, my dad used to plop me into a seat bolted onto the back of his bike and ride us over to Warinanco Park. We'd stop periodically so I could play on the playgrounds. Sometimes we'd rent a paddle boat. And on the way home, we'd stop at Carvel Ice Cream Shop, Palmer Video, or (on a particularly good day) both.

When I got a little bit older, he used to drive me an hour each way to Windfall Farm so I could take horseback riding lessons on the weekend. Let me tell you—those days were great. To pass the time, he took to bringing his road bike up, so while I was busy grooming, riding, washing, and feeding horses, he'd cruise around the hills in the countryside.

As an adult, my dad remained one of my all-time favorite people. More often than not, we see the world the same way, which leads to a special kind of camaraderie. You know the kind I'm talking about. It's when there is someone you can communicate with just by looking at them a certain way, and you both know what you're thinking. Often times this comes up at the dinner table when my mom and dad have a disagreement. I can give my dad a quiet look, and he knows I'm on his side. (I guess now the cat is out of the bag though, because my mom is sure to read this.)

I'm thrilled that so many of our family members and my dad's friends will be able to join us to celebrate his 80th birthday. Dad—thank you for so many great memories. I'm looking forward to many more. Happy birthday!