my dad

sometimes, after a rough day, it helps to remember just how lucky i am.

one way in which i am oh so very lucky is obviously in my amazingly wonderful family. but, i call myself especially lucky to have the father i have.

first of all, he raised my brothers and i as a single parent from '97 on and if i do say so myself, he did a wonderful job.

but mostly, i am lucky to have such a supportive parent in my life. growing up, i was taught that i could do anything but i had to work for it. i was always told that i could do and be anything i wanted because i was a girl. mostly that meant i didn't get a pass on shoveling the driveway, but the point was, i can and need to do things for myself.

it has always been clear that i get to make the important decisions. there were no ultimatums about college majors (even when i was convinced i was going to major in musical theatre), or bribes to go to different schools (that were significantly less costly), or what i need to do after college. it was clear i would need to make a lot of things happen on my own, but it was also clear that the choice was mine. my dad has always offered his advice, but has never influenced.  i always laugh because whenever my dad provides future helpful hints about marriage, family, home owning, children, cars, etc. the "when you have (insert life choice here)" statement is always quickly followed by an "if that's what you decide" statement.

also, when i call my dad and tell him i have accepted a substitute teacher position in DC startin the week after my graduation, he doesn't skip a beat. even though it means he will be driving in a minivan full of all my college stuff back to massachusetts all by himself for 8 hours, he tells me that it is wonderful and talks me through where i am going to live.

so basically, i have the best, most supportive, and wonderful dad in the world. and i am a really, really lucky girl.