Happy Birthday Dad!

I've written lots of stories about me and my Dad and I have many more to tell. Many of the stories are filled with fun and adventure. Many are filled with sorrow. Many are flat out hilarious. All of them are true and all of them are precious to me.

Today I just want to say Happy Birthday Dad! I know life has been a roller coaster for you at times and sometimes it seems too hard to bare, but you have never given up. You have always leaned on your faith and trusted that God would hold you up and even carry you if needed.

You are not perfect, I know this. However your love for me has always felt perfect and for that I cannot thank you enough. Through the years we have remained close friends and I am so grateful for that friendship. I love that at anytime I can pick up the phone and we can talk about anything. I love that you will call me in the same way.

I can't believe all of the things we have done together considering how much of my childhood was spent away from you. I suppose that is one more example of the time you were willing to give when I was around. You taught me to play catch, dribble a ball, swing a bat, wrestle, ride a bike, catch a fish, shoot a deer, how to camp, fix a car, hammer a nail, drive a stick shift, appreciate the constitution, and even how to shoot a basketball. All of these skills have been of great worth to me. Still the greatest skills that you have given me are how to love and to be thankful.

I am very thankful. I have been given much. I have a great family, wife, children, home, parents, and most importantly a relationship with my savior Jesus Christ. And I love all that I have been given. They are all that matters.

So Dad, I hope I have been a good son. I hope that I have showed you the love that I have for you. I hope that I have made you proud. I thank you for looking past the broken fishing poles or the time I hit you with the car and pinned your knee between a couple of bumpers! Or the time I got into the garage and opened up the brand new race car track that you were hiding so you could surprise me with later. Or the time you took me to the Jazz game and I became a Lakers fan. I'm sure there were many more too.

Dad, you are still my hero. You are a testimony of perseverance and rock solid faith. I love you more than you will ever know. This world is a better place because of the 69 years that it has had you here. So let the earth give one back to you this day. Kick your feet up on the banks of a river and do what you do best, catch a big one!

Happy Birthday!

Your loving son, Horace