Life is so worth living!

 Today would have been the 70th Birthday for my Dad.  It would have been such a happy day, full of life, but instead it is bittersweet and full of memories.  His life has been negated to pictures and words, and they are some good ones!  His life made my life possible, and he made my life better.  Thank you, Dad, for living life.  It is a good life!

I am so thankful for the lessons of forgiveness and tolerance that you showed me.  I am so thankful for the calm way you taught me to accept myself and keep trying.  Because of you, I can get up, brush myself off and never give up.  You certainly didn't and I want that to be said of me, too!  

 Because, even when we mess up,  there are so many sunshine filled days, literally and figuratively.  I am excited for joy filled days to come.  I am loving seeing these dynamic children learn and grow.  I recently visited my Dad's grave and had a great talk with him, telling him all about my children and letting him in on the things he might be missing, and I KNOW he heard me.

 So, he knows.  He knows I am doing my best to teach my children to love and feel love and keep a sense of humor!  

 He knows that life goes on and we still have the nativity at Christmas, but now that reader of Luke 2 is a recording.  His voice lives on, thank you technology!  He knows that we strive to honor the great love he had for his Savior and the deep appreciation he had for His sacrifice.

 He must know we are happy, amidst our sorrow.  We wish he was here.  We wish we could show him the value he has in our family, and it is even more apparent now that he is gone.  He may have been the one behind the camera or standing in the back, most of the time, but he was glue for us!  Death is just as much of an education as life.

And although this is how it ended up...

This is how we remember it!  

Living a life full of challenges and joys, one never without the other, just the way it was intended.  And yet, despite our many failures, life is so worth living!!  If anything, this is the great legacy that a regular man gave his extremely regular (and grateful) daughter.  I can keep going and there will be much joy to come, I LOVE you Dad!  Happy Birthday!