Superdad

My dad was (and continues to be today) a SUPERDAD, there's no doubt about it.

He was a proud stay-at-home dad WAY before that became somewhat popular--but only by day. At night, as we slept, he went to work as a veteran police officer in a large metropolitan city in the U.S. Oh, and on his days off, he would often pack my brother and I with plenty of snacks and activities and take us along on drives out to rural towns where he would have horseshoeing customers.

I am trying to remember when my dad slept! It couldn't have been very much. He always seemed to have all the time in the world for us kids. He was very much a hands-on father who would pass the soccer ball in the street or play catch in the backyard with us almost every afternoon. An athletic guy himself, he encouraged Joe and I in every sport we tried. He made an effort to be at every game we played over the years.

On vacations, if the hotel had a pool, he was right in there giving us rides on his back as he swam underwater.

He also went on every field trip I ever had. Back then, he was always the only dad that went and everyone wanted to be in his group and ride in our car. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he would inevitably stop for treats somewhere on the way home.

In the summertime, our yard spilled over with neighborhood kids screaming down the slip'n slide on intertubes with my fun-loving dad supervising like a pro.

Anyone who has met my dad would know he is a VERY masculine guy, but as a teen I really appreciated that he was also a very good shopper and great at giving his opinions on clothes. In the very least, he was a great actor, because I recall some fun times at malls over the years.

Basically, my dad set the bar very high for other dads out there. His life revolved around his family and it was obvious to everyone around him. I have had childhood friends who I haven't seen for 20 years and they still remember how "cool" my dad was. I was very lucky to have such a wonderful dad and I am so thankful to God for making me his daughter to this day.

Speaking of these days, my dad is an incredible Grandpa to each of my 4 kids. The fact that we live thousands of miles apart has not deterred him from being close with his grandkids. He gets out here as often as he can and he never wants to leave when the trip is over. All of the pictures I used for the collages have the grandkids in them, because I wanted them to be recent and to show how dedicated of a Grandpa he is.

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Thank you, Dad, for being the best father I could have been gifted with. I grew up feeling so loved and secure. I treasure our close relationship now and always. Love, Shannon