Father's Day 2009

Living the American Dream...

What do exactly do these words mean? Most would probably argue that anyone born in this country ultimately has their destiny within reach. All you have to do is work hard enough in school and get good grades, stay active in sports/activities so you are well-rounded, choose your friends wisely, and steer away from trouble. If you do these things, you can pursue just about any course in life, and as long as you keep meeting the accepted requirements, you will get there.

Some people would argue that living the American dream is being able to experience the fairy tale life...meeting that special person and falling in love, buying a big house with a white picket fence, and then filling all the bedrooms with little munchkins that try to eat you out of that very house. Every day you come home from work and kiss the wife, wrestle with the kids, and sit down to a big family dinner.

While I agree with many of these sentiments, I have slightly different viewpoint of what it means to live the American Dream...You see, I got to grow up with a father that I consider my hero. He served his country, which is a big reason why I did the same. He was gone to work when I woke up every morning, and didn't come home until I was through with both school and practice. I honestly don't remember if I ever heard him complain about it...When I was in sports season (which was just about year round), he came straight from work to see me at meets, matches or games. Accept he didn't just do this for me...he did this for all four of us boys. He kept a nice yard (with alot of help from mom of course), and took good care of his cars or other valuables. While he was very scary when he was mad, he was consistent in discipline and we all new his expectations. He was supportive and encouraging with us no matter what direction we wanted to head in...

All in all, he was to me what I want to be to my son...I will constantly live in the shadow of his example...I will constantly strive to meet the same expectations. My family comes first, no matter how long the work day, no matter how tired I am, and no matter what direction my son wants to go in. All of this I will do in my father's honor. I'm living the American Dream, and my son deserves to do the same...I love you Pop...

Here are some pictures of Ally, Grayson and I on my first Father's Day. We went to an Irish festival in downtown Annapolis and had a great time. Allyson was even breastfeeding on a busy street!