My Dad

As I type this I'm sitting in the family waiting room at Lee County Hospital in Florida. I really should be working on my message but I just need a break.

My dad had surgery on his back on Monday and my brother and I flew down to be with him and my mom. The surgery went really well, much better than we imagined. There will be some rough spots ahead and some really bad stuff can still happen...

But it almost seems that I have my old dad back.

I learned what it means to "be a man" from my dad. I hope that doesn't sound too machismo, actually the reverse is true. My dad taught me that loyalty, generosity, love, respect... those are the things that make a man. I have always respected the way that my dad treated my mom. We would go to festivals and people who didn't know them would always think they were newlyweds. As my dad has been in incredible pain the past several years, his disposition has changed a bit. Honestly, he has gotten more grumpy. But today I saw that spark of my old dad back again.

I know we won't physically live forever. I know that outwardly we are waiting away... but I would like to have my dad around for many years to come. I still have so much to learn.