I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my dad lately. Maybe it was our latest argument (in the story of Bob and Margie). Maybe it’s that he asked me to define his role as my dad. I don’t know. But nonetheless, a lot of thinking has been going on…

To tell you the truth, outside of my dad’s annual Christmas party and my birthday, I have no memories of winter events. I can tell you a story from about every summer. About falling in the water, about ‘The Barbie Boat’, about being the first one in the water, and the last one out. The times of going out on the aluminum boat, and fishing, and the hours and hours and fast food after fast food while my dad worked on the “Margie Lou IV” & “Margie Lou V”, the jackets we had with such names… My favorite picture of me and my dad on the “Margie Lou III”.

Summer was our time. It was leaving on Friday as soon as he got off work, and rolling in on Sunday night after New York Strips and Steak fries at the Stonehedge for some ridiculously cheap price. I remember how much he hated taking the garbage out Sunday night because we were TIRED from a weekend of playing (maybe this is why I hate taking the garbage out). I could sit and eat a bag of Doritos in one sitting (the big bag) or pizza from Frankies.

I thought my dad was the greatest man ever. He was my hero.

When I asked him what he wanted for holidays, it was always a “hug and a kiss”. Every night, it was the same thing before I went to bed “hands, face, and teeth”. When we’d argue, the way I knew everything was ok (and him to check if I was still mad) “do you want to go groceries?”

He was awesome, he still is. He is constantly looking out for me, and watching to make sure I’m ok, and that Phyllis is ok, and that my gram is ok. He watches over all of us.

Yesterday, he came to my porch, and I think he came to my house first to talk. He had something he just needed to talk about, and I was so honored he did. Stupid, huh? I always have known that he was my friend, but yesterday, I realized, I’m his friend too.

It’s been a long, dramatized story of Bob and Margie. It’s been a long road we have traveled, filled with fun and heartache, laughter and tears. And at the end of it all…

We’re friends.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. —John 15:13