Ode to Pop

My Pop celebrated his birthday this week. On his day of presents and cake, I recognize more than ever that he’s the true gift. He does so much for our family and never asks a thing in return. So I’d like to take a minute and honor this special man with a blog post.

• My Pop is the life of the party. He’s always pulling silly antics and making us laugh.


• My Pop is the worst and the best partner to have in a game of Pictionary. His drawings are almost always unrecognizable, which makes winning hard, but the belly-hurting laughter that ensues is better than winning anyway.


• My Pop is handsome. In his younger days, he was often compared to JFK, though our family all agrees that Pop had him beat.

• My Pop is a fix-all handy man. Just the other day he fixed multiple problems on my car in a few short hours and saved me hundreds of dollars. And cars aren’t the only thing he can fix. He’s a master electrician, a smart carpenter, a wiz constructer, and he puts Joe’s plumbing skills to shame.
  
• My Pop values an education and has instilled that value in me. During my school years, he was always there encouraging me to do my best, constantly stressing how important what I was doing actually was, even when I didn’t want to see it that way.
  
• My Pop is a tree hugger. Okay, maybe not in the traditional sense, but he does love the outdoors. He lives to spend his summers in the Colorado Mountains, riding motorcycles, fishing, hiking, biking and soaking up the pure joy of it all.

• My Pop always makes us laugh. ALWAYS!
  

• My Pop has a knack for fixing old cars. Right now he’s working on his 1958 Ford Fairlane Retractable Hardtop Convertible. And he’s doing a great job with it. He also fixed up his old International pickup to look like new.

• My Pop loves his family and sacrificed SO much to give us a great life. And his family loves him!
  


• My Pop has a way with animals. Every family pet always loved spending their time with him and he with them. (This includes is granddogs.)
  

• My Pop valued playtime. I have many a fond memory of playing with him as a kid. He was my best salon customer (he even let me paint his nails), my favorite sledding partner, my best Pick-Up Sticks competitor, and an easy-to-please customer at “Megan’s Place” (my restaurant).
  
• My Pop is a sharp shooter!
  
• My Pop cleans up real nice.
  


• My Pop does ALL of the driving when we go on family roadtrips, stopping when and where we want to stop, showing us extra cool things and places along the way, and making it an easy trip for all of us.
  




• My Pop has a love for photography and never misses a photo op. I’m happy to say that he’s passed this passion on to me.
  

• My Pop is a fierce badminton player…sometimes a little too fierce.
  


• My Pop never cared when I’d clepto his electric razor to shave my legs as a girl.
  
• My Pop knows how to make a mean wienie-roasting fire.

• My Pop makes this world a happier place, and I’m so proud to be his daughter.
  Happy Birthday Poppy. I love you!