This is your Grandpa Neil

This is your Grandpa Neil. He is a good Dad and I am lucky that he is mine.

To understand why I am so lucky, let me tell you some things about Dads in general. Most people don't tell their kids this because it's hard to understand without other information, but the bottom line is that Dads aren't like Moms. Moms actually have the babies (ask your Mom how) so they get pretty attached to them. Dads, on the other hand, aren't as physically attached to the babies so some Dads of some babies don't stick around for all the hard parts of having babies (RE: Pooping oneself, crying, etc). I know lots of people whose Dads avoided all that hard stuff.

But not my Dad.

I'm lucky because, to be totally honest, it was a hard job to be my Dad* and my Dad always was my Dad anyway. How was it hard? Well, again honestly, I wasn't always that nice to my Dad. I know it sounds silly...who wouldn't be nice to his Dad? Well I wasn't always that easy to like as a kid (Or teenager. Or young adult. Mostly teenager.) and he just went on loving me anyway.

There were the normal acts of disobedience. I would fight over my bedtime, wouldn't eat my peas, and wouldn't stop bugging your Auntie Shanna. I was also terrified that my parents would *gasp* TALK to me in public and obviously shunned them at every opportunity.

Beyond that, though, was a deeper level of difficulty. I never wanted to play catch, learn to skate, or help fix things when my Dad asked me to**. More than not being able to relate, it was like I didn't want to even try. Later, when my Dad and Mom lived separately, I would make a big deal of even going to visit...like I had something better to be doing (I didn't). Even when I finally lived with Dad, I was grouchy with him in the mornings*** and spent most of my time with my girlfriend.

How could any person, Dad or not, be cool with all of that? Sometimes he wasn't. Sometimes he had fun with egging me on. Sometimes he wanted to kill me. Sometimes, I can't believe he didn't!

Sometimes.

But here's why I'm lucky. He always asked me to play catch. He always asked me to go skating. He always told me corny jokes for a laugh. He always asked how I was doing in school. He always helped when I needed something. He always volunteered for school things. He always said good morning. He was always there...even when I wasn't. He still is.

Always.

Love,

Your Dad.

* It was hard to be my Mom, too...you can ask Grandma Kat about the Vaseline. Whoa.

** To this day, I'm shitty at baseball, hockey, and fixing things. Go figure.

*** I'm still no better in the mornings. Some things never change. Don't talk to me until after I have a shower, please.