Happy Father's Day!

Today is the day we celebrate all the dads and father figures in our lives. We should always be thankful for our fathers, but on this particular day, I want to reflect on what I think it really means to be dad.

To me, a dad is someone who parks in the emergency lane the night you are born, because he is too excited to care about the rules. A dad is someone who tries to fix your hair for school, only to send you off with three pigtails, somehow convincing you that you still look beautiful. A dad is someone who picks you up, kisses your boo-boos and wipes away your tears when you've fallen off your bike (which happened because he was confident enough to let go as you sailed down the driveway). A dad is someone who lets you eat ice cream for dinner every night when your mom is in Europe. A dad is someone who tells you to walk away and be proud of who you are when the mean kids tease you (and after you leave, makes those kids feel two feet tall). A dad is someone who doesn't make learning how to drive a car easy, but is still the best driving instructor you'll ever have. A dad is someone who teaches you how to check the oil and change a tire, even if you have Jiffy Lube and AAA. A dad is someone who tries to tell you that cheerleading is not the most important "sport", yet comes to every single game you ever cheered for and is your biggest cheerleader when, in other sports, you're sitting on the bench. A dad is someone who pushes you to do your best, but doesn't make you feel bad if you don't always succeed. A dad is someone who never cries, but breaks down into tears when he drops you off at college for the first time and when he walks you down the aisle at your wedding.

A dad is also a husband who has never looked happier than the morning his sons are born. A dad is someone who, for six weeks straight, rarely leaves his sons' side while they are in the NICU. A dad is someone who wishes he could take his child's pain away and give him his own ability to breathe when his child loses his. A dad is someone who comes home from a long day at work, but isn't too tired to take his kids to the playground, have dinner with them, bathe them and put them to bed. A dad is someone who, on his day off, would rather spend time with his kids than do anything else.

I am lucky, because the dads in my life epitomize what it means to be a dad. I am forever grateful. I hope all of you dads out there had a terrific day. You deserve it.