Father's Day...

"You're a jack of all trades, and master of none." My late father used to say to me. And I suppose there's some truth to that. After all, if I were a master of any trade worthwhile, I would be sitting in a better chair than the one I'm sitting in right now.

Still, if I had to be good at anything in this world, I would like to think that I was a pretty good father to my three children. Like my own father was to the six of us. He was a good dad. And the secret to being a good dad, is really based on some simple and basic principles.



Make your kids happy. You know, keep 'em laughing.

You don't need a boatload of money to keep your kids smiling. You just have to know how to have fun with them. To get down on their level, and let them know you are connecting with them. Oh and teaching and them how to surf can't hurt. Sharing the ocean with your children is one of the best things you can do
with your kids.

And of course, you have to able to provide for them. That means working and making money. All the laughter in the world is not going to put clothes on their backs and food in their mouths. You need to have a solid job and usually that follows a good education. In other words, you need to take the proper steps to be that good loving, providing financial security, kind of father.

I suppose I did Okay in both categories. I know I did far better in keeping them laughing over the years, than I did in keeping them in a higher echelon of financial status. We were not rich. But we were rich in love and laughter.

My late father was much of the same. He had three jobs. He made enough money to put that roof over our heads and keep three solid meals on the table each day. But one thing's for certain, he kept us all laughing.

My dad was old school all the way.

Toward the end of his life, I used to tell him I loved all the time. I think he felt uncomfortable when I'd say it over and over again. "I love you dad". He'd mostly just look at me with a quizzical look on his face. Like he thought I was buttering him up to ask for something. Slowly he realized that I was being sincere. "I love you dad." He'd be like "yeah, yeah, I love you too..."

That always brought a smile to my face. Whether I was on the phone, or in person. I knew I was getting to him.

I used to always thank him on Veterans Day and Memorial day. "Thank you dad". He'd look at me and ask "Thank me? For what?" And I'd say "Oh nothing really, just that you and your fellow WWII veterans only saved the world...you kidding me dad?"
He'd say "We all went in. I didn't do anything special." I would just shake my head.

I remember the year I called him on Veterans Day and thanked him and he did something that made me burst into tears. "Ralph, I want to thank you, for what you guys did in Vietnam." I completely lost it. Sobbing. He'd never said that to me before.



I knew that we had reached a point in our lives that a mutual respect had been forged and bonded until his dying day.
That's my dad on the left in the South Pacific during WWII and
that's me on the right in Vietnam. Happy Father's Day dad.



My kids were lucky growing up. They had three grandfather figures who loved and adored them. My late father-in-law Jerry above was the sweetest and kindest grandfather to our three kids. We lost him (and when I say "we", I mean the all of the US lost this unsung hero) in 2005. And there is not a day that goes by that we don't think of him.

Our world is safer today because of some of the things he did to keep us safe. Happy Father's Day Jerry (Grampy) we all still love and miss you.



The third grandfather to our three children John is thankfully still with us. Pictured here with our youngest Noelle at her graduation on Friday. John has been the best grandpa to our three children and they have been blessed to have him in their lives. So Happy Father's Day John. We all love you.

There's a benefit at Hampton's Flatbread Company on June 18th, 2013 from 5PM to 9PM to help sponsor the local American Legion Post 35 and their Wounded Warriors projects like HIT THE BEACH. See poster below. Please help out this great cause.



Click poster above to see a larger version