Happy Birthday, Dad ;-)

Thank goodness for the new geneology website my cousin Dan found for all of us because it rocks with family birthday reminders. I try really hard to keep track of it all, but hey, let's face it, it can be touch. I tend to remember Dan's birthday with greater ease though because he was born the day my Dad was. Today, my father turned 69 years old, and I can't believe I'm even typing in those numbers because it's so hard for me to imagine my parents growing any older. At any rate, the picture you see of my Dad in the left-hand column of my blog is the photo that sort of epitomizes my father's sense of humor. We all know he's never smoked a day in his life but he hammed it up for the paparazzi with a poorly-puffed stogie because Dad does whatever he can for a laugh...even if the laugh is disingenous in nature. ;-) This is just his way. And after all these years, he is still a unique soul, perhaps a free soul, who for his whole life, has placed his family's needs before his own. And even though he knows his superpowers are limited, he is constantly concerned about protecting our health and welfare. While my father can sometimes be hard to understand, his loyalty, good intentions, and idiosyncratic expressions of love for his family are crystal clear to me. This is why I am dedicating these songs to my father who in all his 69 years of living, has never wavered in his quest to play - for his family and the industry he serves, the difficult roles of The Knight in Shining Armor, Superman, and the all-around everyday Hero.