My Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday. Since many of you never got the chance to meet him, I thought I would share a little about him. To say that we had a unique relationship would be an understatement! But, despite everything, he was a great man. And I have not doubt that he loved me greatly.

Here is a list of 10 things I remember most about my dad:

1. He played basketball when he was young, and I hear he was really good at it.

2, He lost his leg due to diabetes, but learned to walk again. He would walk all over his small town everyday with his cane and a smile. When he could no longer walk, he rode his electric wheelchair all around town. He's probably running those streets of gold now!

3. He had red hair. So did all of his brothers and sisters.

4. He was a talker! He knew everyone and would talk for hours with his buddies.

5. He was a member of Ft. Gaines First Baptist Church his whole life.

6. He could not carry a tune in a bucket, but would sing hymns at the top of his lungs. He would sing a special any time he was asked.

7. He once saw Mickey Mantle play a game against the Cardinals, and was a Yankees fan ever since. He is responsible for me being a Yankee.

8. If he wanted to talk to you, he would not stop calling until you answered. He completely filled up my voicemail box many times.

9. He played the Georgia lottery religiously. He always picked the same numbers, 108, for his birthday month and mine. When I would tell him he shouldn't gamble, he would tell me that the church would spend lottery money just as fast as they would hard earned money.

10. People say I look just like him. When I go to that little town now, people I have never met always say, "You have got to be Paul's daughter". It bothered me when I was young, but I don't mind it so much now.

Happy Birthday, Daddy. I miss you.