Happy Father's Day 2007

For two very special fathers...one who helped to raise me and one who raises me up.

There is an excellent article here about what makes a man a hero. There is really no real reason for either of you to read it, as you already know all about that. You know about the level of commitment required of a father: the sheer exhaustion that you work through to play one more game of catch (or soccer in some cases), to wake in the pre-dawn hours to head off to a job that you may or may not feel like going to that day to support your family, to mend the hurts-both big and small-that those entrusted to you feel, to stand aside proudly and oh-so-humbly as the parenting accolades are doled out upon your *better* half. Maintaining the status quo has never been your strong point. You've always managed, in your own quiet, unassuming way, to lead by example and we as your family are the better for it.

What makes a man a hero? I'm not sure of the specifics, but that's okay, because I'm sure that you are. May God bless all our fathers today and always.

"It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. It was your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your devotion -- these were the things that counted in a life. When you gave purely, the honor came in the giving, and that was honor enough." - Captain Scott O'Grady