To My Daddies…

I, sadly, have nothing to do with my father. This is my choice, and a topic for another time. Today, I want to say…

Thank You Frank - for being the father that mine wasn’t. Thank you for going to my basketball games in high school, and the late night choir performances. Thank you for teaching me some of the things that get me through life today. Thank you for showing me the ways to treat and not treat someone. Thank you for allowing me to make mistakes. Thank you for the apologies when you knew you were unreasonable, and the criticism that made me grow.

Thank You Terry – for being my weekend father. Thank you for allowing me to come to your house on the weekends and be your 3rd child. Thank you for treating me as one of your own, whether good mood or bad. Thank you for advice over those young years that you don’t even know you gave me. Thank you for showing me, through your own children, what fathers should really be like. Most of all, thank you for always having NASCAR on the TV. I do believe always seeing it at your house is what fueled my addiction of today.

Thank You Tony –for keeping one of my biggest secrets (although I’ve come to find out, it wasn’t so secret after all). Thank you for showing me, although not directly, that it’s okay to make mistakes as a parent, as long as your kids don’t notice. Thank you for the acceptance of me you’ve always made known.

Thank You Armand –for just being you. This in itself, is enough.

Thank You Gerry –for being one of the biggest influences in my life. Thank you for showing me it’s okay to be strong, and even more okay to be weak. Thank you for loving me no matter what I’ve done, and what I’ll do in the future. Thank you for not being afraid of putting me in my place when I’ve been wrong, and thank you for being one of the first to tell me how proud you are of me. Thank you for allowing me to be me.

Over 31+ years, I’ve had some pretty strong father figures. There aren’t big enough letters to put here that would emphasize how grateful I am for each and every one of them.  Although beyond appreciative of the support and teachings of these fine men, there will always be a void that nobody will ever fill. An empty spot, where I wish I could fit the love I have for my own father. But I can’t. And with the influences of the above mentioned, I’ll deal with it. After all, FIVE is better than ONE, right?