58 Years Young...

In my life, I have been lucky enough to have been truly loved and adored by two men. The first man is my husband, Josh. But, before him was another.

Tomorrow (Dec. 15th), my dad celebrates his 58th birthday. I feel so lucky every day to have such an incredible dad. I love him so much. No matter how old I get, I will always be his little girl. I love having a strong relationship with him & value the time we are able to spend together. Some of my fondest memories were working together at his dental office during the summers of my junior high and high school years, and especially when I was home from college. I miss our lunch time talks and naps. He always said I was the best employee he ever had! (I'd have to agree.) I have sought his wisdom and advice often & have appreciated his constant support in all my decisions. I am grateful for his strength, example and testimony. He has always encouraged us to do our very best and set our goals high. This principle has brought much happiness into my life.

My dad has always wanted the best for all of his children, especially his 2 daughters. I’ll never forget my 12th birthday. That is somewhat of a “coming of age” birthday in our religion. A girl advances from the children’s organization at church (“Primary”) to what is known as the “Young Women Organization”. In honor of this special birthday Dad (with help from Mom, I’m sure), planned a special birthday date night for the two of us. Dad told me to get dressed up in a new outfit he and Mom had purchased for me, and we went to a nice restaurant (Coco’s in FW) and enjoyed dinner and dessert, just the two of us. At some point during our meal, he pulled out a small gift box and handed it to me. I opened it to find a beautiful diamond ring. It was gold, with a tiny diamond. Dad called it a “promise ring” and put it on my ring finger and asked me if I would promise to wear the ring until I had found a handsome young man who desired to replace that ring and was worthy to take me to the temple to be married for time and all eternity. I’m pleased to say I kept that promise. I wore that ring until Josh replaced it on Feb. 14, 1998 and continued to wear it on my right hand until just recently when the little diamond finally fell out from years of wear. Through out my teenage years, when I happened to glance down and see that ring, I was reminded of a simple promise I’d made to my dad to remain worthy for the man who would some day replace that ring with one I’d wear for the rest of my life. I’m grateful for a father who always took the time to teach me important life lessons.

Dad, I hope you know how much we all love you! Happy Birthday!