[foxpaws]

My Mom is wonderful – and I had a wonderful childhood growing up, but, my Dad was a very special man. A drill sargent for part of his military career – I certainly grew up understanding ‘tough love,’ but I always knew the ‘love’ was unconditional, and eventually figured out the ‘tough’ was really for my own good.

He anchored our family – and the best thing was to watch him with his granddaughters (he had only a slew of granddaughters, and he always said he wouldn’t have had it any other way). Dad’s ‘girls’ would go to him with their secrets, victories, troubles and tribulations. They all sang Amazing Grace at his funeral as the fighters were flying over – he would have just beamed.

He was a hero in many more ways than the military honors now proudly displayed on my Mom’s wall (he never even let us see them when we were growing up). He was my hero. He passed away about a year ago - and I miss him every day.