Something I learned…

Dear Dad,

Happy Birthday!  I wanted to thank you for being a dad who cared.  I realized something recently.  As a mom of 4 kids that are starting to get older, I have felt overwhelmed with the responsibility of making sure I have done all I can to make sure these kids turn in to decent adults and know everything I want them to know.  Sometimes, this pressure causes me to act a little irrationally or react differently than I would to any other human being.  But everything I have done has been out of love and concern for the well being of my children.  Because I care.  At the end of every day, I wish I had acted or reacted differently during the day.  All I can do is try to do better the next day and hope I am being the best mom I can be to these children.

So then I started thinking about you.  I didn’t always appreciate the way you handled things, or reacted to things.  But I realize now that you probably experienced similar feelings as I do now!  How am I going to help these children become decent adults and know what they need to know!  I realize now that everything you did as we were growing up (both things I agree with and things I didn’t understand) were out of love and concern for us.  Because you cared.

I love you, Dad.  I appreciate you now more than I ever did before.

Happy Birthday!

Love, Amy

p.s.  Here is a little birthday greeting from your grandkids.

Happy Birthday!