I've written this for my dad who left me in 1997, but he lives in my heart always. Some of you have read it as I've posted it before on my Art Hearts Place blog the last several years. He was my advisor, my confidant, and my best friend.
 I've moved on of course, but the memories are with me and they are beautiful.
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Dear Dad,
When I was a little girl you took me everywhere with you. 
Deep sea fishing off the coast of New Jersey, and were always so proud that your daughter never got sick no matter how rough the ocean would be. You brought me to NYC to see everything from the Empire State Building, Radio City Christmas Show, the Statue of Liberty and all the landmarks. We'd  go to Coney Island and ride that Cyclone roller coaster 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 just do what you can". I still do .
On Sunday mornings you'd drive out to that little airport and we'd watch the planes take off and land..

One Sunday 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. I'd get poison ivy every time.
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 ? I learned those by myself but 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 !... Finally you'd say 'ok, time to go and get the tree,' and then with all the patience in the world you'd help me decorate it.

I remembered something new this year, the time my new kitten went behind the kitchen stove and you spent hours taking it apart to get him out.. oh, all the kittens I brought home and said 'they just followed me" and you let me keep them..
This time of year brings back lots of those memories, and I haven't 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.
Merry Christmas again Dad
from your daughter Barbra Joan