thinking about my dad...

Today would have been my father's 90th birthday.

My sisters were all "daddy's girls", completely devoted to him.  I had a more contentious relationship with him, we butted heads many times.  But he was  my father, I loved and respected him.

And I genuinely liked him, which is far different from love, isn't it?

Much of who I am today is due to my father's influence.

He didn't just earn a living as an educator, he was a natural-born teacher.

My father gave me an appreciation for literature, for theater, for Broadway, for Shakespeare.  Our family vacations sparked an interest in travel, in history.

And he was devoted to my mother, they were married for over 50 years.

And he was proud of his children and his grandchildren.

H loved female attention.  He was the youngest of 5 children, his four older siblings were all girls.  He had four daughters and two granddaughters, and he reveled in being surrounded by  us.

His favorite quote, one from The King and I, was "Among so many sheep I am the only ram, it's no wonder I"m the wonder of Siam".

I'm really missing him today.