My dad had a unique birthday, 1/23/45. It is so fitting because he was a unique man. He was strong, proud, protective, loyal, committed, and hard as nails. He grew up the old school way. He had to provide for his family at a young age because his father passed away when he was young. He got in a lot of trouble with his mother and would hide in trees so she wouldn't find him. He had a brother and two sisters. One of his sisters passed away when he was very young. My father was a very hard worker and very smart even though he did not go to college. He had a great reputation in the bakery business which was his career most of his life. During his illness, it was very hard for him not to work. Keeping busy kept my dad sane.
Other than his family, his biggest passion was restoring old cars. He and I spent countless hours in the garage tinkering with his cars. He had every tool imaginable and he taught me how to use each one in his tool box. Building cars with him was one of my fondest memories growing up. As I got older, we would go to car shows together and it was such a special time for us to bond. In fact, at this time, we would be planning on going to the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona for his birthday. It was a yearly tradition for us before he got sick. Thankfully before he passed away, I was able to take him one last time and I will never forget that day. He was so happy to be there with me and I was with him.
My dad passed away almost 3 years ago and it still hurts as if he passed away yesterday. He was such a big part of my life and there is this void in my heart that can never be filled. I miss everything about him. I know he would be so happy to see our boys growing up. He anticipated the birth of the boys for so long. I was so happy I could give him the gift of being a grandfather. One of the best things I got out of doing the show on the Discovery Health Channel was to see my dad's reaction to seeing the boys for the first time. It makes me cry every time I see it.
One of the best gifts that my dad gave to me was being there on my wedding day and walking me down the aisle. It was a moment that I had waited for all my life. He was so happy for Curtis and I but he was so sad for himself. He felt as though he had lost me to someone else. He loved Curtis and knew that Curtis was a man who would take care of his daughter. The picture above is one of my favorite pictures of all time. In fact, Curtis had it printed on canvas for me and it hangs on my wall in my bedroom.
I love you dad and I miss you so much. Happy Birthday!
