Today was my father-in-law's birthday. We loaded up the van this afternoon and dropped by for a visit complete with ice cream and pie. Due to commitments, we weren't able to stay too long.
I have a lot of thoughts when I think of my father-in-law. I've known him for twenty-six years, decades longer than I knew my own father. He's been a wonderful father figure for me as I transitioned from single adult, to newly married husband, to first-time father, to a father of four. He's been there the whole time.
Growing up without a father in the home, you don't realize what you don't know. I thought I knew about being a father. I mean, the big things I thought I could handle, but having someone in my family that showed me how to navigate the sometimes stormy seas of fatherhood has been a Godsend.
And not only has he been a wonderful example for me, he's been an absolute dream as a grandfather of my children. Since my dad passed, my children (nor my wife...) were never able to meet my dad, so my father-in-law's been my children's only example of a grandfather. I consider my kids lucky to have had such a man in their lives, a man who's shown them the value of hard work, of respect for things, for frugal living, and staying committed to family.
Yes, today we visited my father-in-law, my wife's dad, my children's grandpa on his birthday. Thanks Blaine, for everything.
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