A Perfect Father's Day

Since I'm a Dad, I like Father's Day! I don't need gifts to have a happy Father's Day. To me, a perfect Father's Day is a day spent with my daughter watching a good baseball game--preferably a St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. The next best thing is day at the ball park in Springfield watching the Springfield Sliders defeat the Danville Dans.

Here we are waiting for the game to start. It was a happy Father's Day! I'm not proud of this picture, as I realize it's not very flattering of either of us. At least she was smart enough to wear sunglasses! As you can see, I (in my official Sliders cap) am squinting and probably getting sun burned. It was much better once the sun went down. I can't believe she wore that shirt! Unfortunately this photo is from last year!

On this Father's Day my daughter had to work--one of those shifts that cuts into your afternoon and takes up your evening. She felt guilty, but I am proud of her for not asking for time off or calling in sick at a time when jobs are hard to find. Since she lives in another city, I got a phone call, text message and email all wishing me a Happy Father's Day. Just knowing that she was thinking of me was good enough for me.

And since I showed you the latest photo of us together (we don't like to have our picture taken), I thought I would also show you the first one of us together on the day she was born. I was barely twenty one years old. Yes, we have both changed a lot since that day!

My Aunt Pat emailed today to wish me a happy Father's Day and this photo was a nice surprise attached. She said it was her most recent picture of us together! My daughter was eight years old in this one and I was 29. Thanks, Aunt Pat! I'm only posting it to show some age progression...plus the other two aren't very flattering photos of us! I like this one!

Oh what the heck, here's another couple of pictures of my daughter in the last couple of years. These are among my favorites. The first one was a spur of the moment at work with my cell phone camera. The other is a close up to show off her spike in her chin. She doesn't wear that anymore...YAY!

Here's a great memory of me with my Dad. I was fifteen years old. It was 1978, when we lived in Phoenix. I have been thinking of Dad today. He passed away a few years ago. In February I wrote "Remembering Dad," if you want to read it.

And to all the Dads, step-Dads, and other guys that are like a Dad, I hope you all had a Happy Father's Day!