Hey, dAd, Happy Father's Day!

I was just reading the New York Times in my pjs and drinking coffee and I remembered: Today's Father's Day! I thought I should call you but then I remembered that the time difference is 10 hours and that calling you on skype right now would be cruel.  So a blog post will just have to do.

Once again, thanks for everything, dAd--from helping me with my homework, to teaching me how to build birdhouses, to always making me laugh and everything else in between.  But really dAd, this it seems is a big year for you.  This is the last year that you'll have been a non-dad for more time than you've been a dad.  Next year you've been a dad for exactly 50% of your life and the next year you'll have been a dad for more years than not.   Wow.

Anyhow, this isn't supposed to be a post about how old you are.  It's supposed to be a post about how great you are but none of that cheesy "World's Best Dad" or "#1 Dad" business.

Here it goes.  dAd, thanks for taking risks. <!--more--> Thanks for up-ending your life (and ours), moving to Walla Walla, starting an antique store and loving every minute of it (even when it's hard).

Thanks for seeing beauty (and new life) in the unexpected.  I never cease to be amazed by projects like reclaiming old barn wood and turning it to tables that are works of art.

Thanks for your determination and vision. Every time I come home and see the antique shop I am wowed by what you've done with the building. And the way you've begun to mix antiques and art in the same space.

Thanks for dreaming of the next great project and then making it happen.  I can't wait to see the garden space that you've just created at the shop and I look forward to hearing more about what's next.

All of these things have really shaped my life and I don't think that I can really put this into words.  But, I am going to try. You see, for me, it's been really important to watch you (and MoM) start with a dream, take the necessary risks and see everything through to completion (and to make changes, adjustments and improvements).  This has made it a lot less scary for me to do the same in my own life.

In fact, I think that in someways I am here in Bulgaria today because of what I've seen you and MoM do in your lives. Thanks for that.  It's made the choices I've had to make a lot easier.  And in making these choices in my own life, I've grown to respect you and MoM and the choices you've made in your lives.  It's clearly not easy but you and MoM have made it look that way time and time again.

So thanks dAd, consistently setting such a high bar and for being such a great example!

Love, Carolyn