A Christmas Letter

Although I've thought of my Dad often in the past thirteen years...its this week that I've missed him most, so I write this one time to you Dad.
   When I was a little girl, you took me everywhere with you,  deep sea fishing off the coast of New Jersey ..  to NYC to see everything from the Empire State Building, Radio City Christmas Show, the Statue of Liberty, and  when we went to Coney Island I'd make you ride that roller coaster  with me over and over .You never said no. 
You taught me how to ride a bike, fly a kite,  build a snowman,  and  made me that real little house in the backyard. I put curtains on the windows.
 You taught me my love for animals and all living things..  We took care of  injured wild birds and rabbits, you'd make a box for them  and if I cried when they didn't make it, you'd say " Barbra , you can't save all of them you know, you just do what you can".
 On Sunday mornings you'd drive out to that little  airport and  we'd watch the planes take off and land.. Somehow you managed to get a pilot to take me up for a ride in a small plane. And when Mom found out she had a fit. 
We'd hike in the woods and go target shooting. You'd take me to the christening of the  new big ships at the shipyard when you still worked there.
   We'd go to your welding shop on Saturdays  and  you showed me how to weld.  Then taught me to drive my first car and bought a red convertible because I liked it.. And Mom had another fit !!  You were the first one I saw when I woke up in the hospital .. more than once.
 I thought you had the strength of 10 men , you could do anything and make everything alright. I remember  the night we lost Louis,  you  looked right at me and said " This is the ONE thing I can't do for you". And I knew you were right because you never lied to me. .
   I learned so much from you Dad.  Any good that I am it was from you.. and the not so good ...  you were still there for me every single time.
  Every Christmas you and I would go and get the tree, I'd bother you for weeks ahead of time.. I was good at that...  and finally  you say 'ok , time to get the tree ',  and then with all the patience in the world you'd help me put it up and decorate it.
This time of year brings back lots of  those memories,  and I have not forgotten a single one .  If  I were given just one wish for Christmas, I would ask that every little girl be blessed with a Dad like I had. What a beautiful world this would be.
  from your daughter Barbra,
Merry Christmas Dad


 

.