This is why I love my Dad

Today’s email exhange between us…

He starts the conversation…

Happy birthday hon.  You should be getting to that stage where you sort
of don’t even want to think about that anymore.
For a birthday present, I got them to schedule a Cowboy game for you
tonight. They said “who the hell are you?”, but went ahead and put one
on with all the backup players. Oh well.

Love, dad.

So I emailed back…

Glad you are always thinking of me.  See I had arranged a game between the Cowboys and an old nemesis in your honor, but I got them to play the starters and have it at a decent football watching time.  They said “He’s still living????” and put the game right on the schedule.

He is not the gushy type.  While I was growing up, he worked nights and I rarely saw him, except when a football game was on.  So somewhere along the way, i decided if we were going to have a relationship, I would learn football.  Let me tell what a hardship that was…I got addicted watching Staubach win games in the last two minutes of a game.  I learned to love incredible defense watching Too Tall, Randy White and the boys.  From there, my father and I grew into a good healthy relationship.  He and I are very much alike in personalities and it often becomes my job to act as a go between for my parents.  “Dad, Mom is worrying about you because you didn’t get emotional about your mother’s death.  You ok?”  He says yes and I go back and tell Mom that Dad is doing fine, that he doesn’t spend much time worrying about things that can’t be changed and while he misses her, he knows she isn’t in pain any more.  All is good. 

I talk politics, religion and all kinds of current events with my dad.  I’m one of the few who can work him out of a bad mood.  I have promised my mom that if she dies first, I will take care of my dad.  I’ll make sure he eats and has fresh batteries in his remote control and his cable bill is always paid. 

I’m lucky to have a friend like him.