Dear Dad

Every year around Father's day I get 3 cards. One for Dad, one for Andrew and the other I save for Mother's Day, to give to my father who is not only a father to me but a mother, a friend and much more. It's hard to find the best way to celebrate Father's day. There doesn't seem to be anything quite good enough to show the person who made me who I am today how much I appreciate everything he has done for me and my family. I am so thankful to have such a fantastic Dad. He has been nothing but supportive, encouraging and loving my entire life. He is one of the few people who has ALWAYS been there no matter what, and I am very, very thankful for that. Everytime I've made mistakes he's been there. Not to judge, or say I told you so but to help, to tell me it's ok, that "anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new" and he's been there to do whatever it takes to fix it, or to deal with it.

He has taught me 3 very important things, respect for yourself, respect for others and responsibility for your actions and I can only hope to be half the parent my father has been to me. To be as supportive and encouraging, to listen and not to be judgemental. To understand and to help my children learn from their mistakes. To teach them to take every minute as it comes most importantly, to appreciate the good things because life isn't fair and you never know what's around the corner.

I have so much admiration for my father that I find it difficult to put into words. How any man can cope with living with 8 females for as long as he did is beyond me. This is a man who has put his family first his entire life. Someone who even through his own grief managed to hold a family together, to support others who weren't coping as well. He's the first person to ask if you're ok when you know that deep down inside he is hurting too. This is someone who spent hours making sure every single detail of his son's funeral was absolutely perfect, because it was the last thing he could do for him.

To celebrate Father's day we all went to the rugby on Saturday afternoon. The girls ganged up on the boys and tried to get them to participate in the kicking competition at half time but they wouldn't have a bar of it, typical men. I always love to do the seemingly "father/son" things with my dad. I kind of feel that I need to make up for the fact that his one and only son is not here to do those things with him.

As for the other man in my life, he got a new golf club and breakfast in bed this morning courtesy of Kellie and Elysium who, it's fair to say take after their mother and are definitely not going to be the next Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson. He enjoyed it none-the-less, what a good dad!!

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there but especially to my Dad! Love you!!!