Father's Day

Basketball coach Jim Valvano once said

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me." 

That statement rings true for both me and Matt.  We are so blessed to have a legacy of fathers that believed in us; believed in us enough to know when tot push, when to teach and as hard as it was, when to let go. 

Father's Day will always be a little bittersweet for us since Matt's dad passed away.  But Jim left behind 4 sons; one of whom is a remarkable dad.  Matt loves Gabe endlessly, provides for him, encourages him and believes in him.  While I assume some of this comes naturally, some part of behavior is learned.  And for that we have Gramps to thank; for showing Matt how to love your children without reservation and to fully believe in them. 

And my dad, well he believed in me.  He believed in me when I wanted to be a ballerina, a swimmer, a writer, an engineer, an environmentalist and finally when I became a mom.  The older I get the more I appreciate my dad, the more I see just how big all of his sacrifices were for our family and how his love resonated from everything g he did for me.  When I went away to college I missed my dad but moving to Houston, I miss him so much more.  No matter how old I get, I will always need my dad.

"Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes."
~ Gloria Naylor

Happy Father's Day... to my dad, to my wonderful husband, to all the father's we know and to the fathers-to-be; those waiting on their little ones to be born or to finally come home over miles of land and sea.  Today we celebrate you; the way you love, teach, discipline and believe. 



Gabe painting part of his Daddy's present

And because I love this quote:

One night a father overheard his son pray: Dear God, Make me the kind of man my Daddy is. Later that night, the Father prayed, Dear God, Make me the kind of man my son wants me to be.

-Unknown