Day 616 Birthday Wishes

 

The boys are back and true to my word, I kept the bin of legos out and their creations in tact. After hours of searching for just the right pieces, to have them torn apart and thrown back to be put away would trouble even the biggest kids. Bridie and I were off to celebrate my brother in laws birthday, yes, I do step aside for others to celebrate during my month. Tim wasn't feeling in tip top shape so offered himself up to stay home with the kids and forego the birthday festivities. April 14th was my dads birthday and although I don't do the heavenly birthday calculations of how old he would be if he was still alive, I do toast to him and send a private wish of love his way. I know I've written about him often, a fact he would revel in, but here I go again. When my dad was alive I had a safety net, one I was blissfully unaware of. No matter what happened in my life, he was there to catch me, help me and get me out of trouble if needed (not that I was a trouble maker or anything). I don't think we realize the presence or importance of the safety net until it's gone, as happens with so many things in life. My dad had a zillion connections in town, knew everyone and had worked hard his entire life to build the relationships that he acquired and cherished, sound familiar? I have no doubt he did this for me and my siblings, valuing the importance of community connections and building them for our future benefit. To this day I can be out and about and have someone come up to me and tell me a story about how important my dad was in their life, what an impact he had on the direction of their decisions and how valued his opinion was to them. I am eternally proud to be his daughter, thankful for the traits I inherited from him and grateful I had so many years of my life with a strong yet invisible safety net. As the kids worked on their lego creations, creating forts and inventing stories for each new design, I smiled knowing I'm part of their safety net, from legos to life's messes I'll always be there to help.