Happy Father's Day

This father's day I have reflected on my relationship with my own father and also the relationship of my husband with his own children. I am very lucky to have a father that I can look up to in my life and I am even more lucky that my own children can do the same with their own father. My husband and I are surrounded by dysfunctional family relationships. We love for our children to have positive role models and loving relationships with as many people as they can. I am proud to say that their own father and my father are two of these people!
Growing up, I don't remember being super close with my dad. He spoiled me rotten and I loved to work with him at his store. We spent quality time together and he did his best to support and encourage my brothers and I. As I grew older, I felt that I became much closer with him and really learned to respect him. My dad taught me to respect myself and that I could do anything and have anything as long as I wanted it bad enough and worked hard enough for it. It seems like my fondest memories of my dad will be the later memories that we have recently made. I love seeing him as  a grandfather to my own children. I get many laughs out of the things the girls say about him and how he reacts to them. I laugh when he gets irritated with them and sort of yells at them. It was the same way he yelled at me so many times and I think it is hilarious now. I love that my children think they have to yell as loud as they can when they talk to him so he can hear them . I love how he has multiple deserts for them to have and he allows them to bend the rules. I will never forget him giving them dinner of smartfood and pie on his bed while he babysat them.
My dad has always been a runner. This is something I picked up later in life and has become my passion. Over the last few years, my dad and I have been able to go for runs together when we visit. Every time we go for a run he points out that this may be the last run we are able to go on together. I have always sort of laughed at this statement. I understand he is getting older but at the same time I don't. On our last visit with my dad, Ella got to go on a run with him. That was a very special thing to me. Ella has become a running partner to me and I am glad my dad got to experience a run with her. Ella said her walk keeps up with Grandpa's pace but they still were able to experience it together. I was also able to run with him. For some reason I cherished this run a little more. These are just a few of the moments I will remember. I wish my father a very happy father's day and I thank him very much for being my dad!
I hope one day my own children are able to reflect back on their memories with their  dad. I couldn't have picked a better father for them and he makes my job of being a mother so much easier! Happy Father's Day Morg! You are amazing with the girls and Tate!