I've Moved

I will no longer be publishing posts here.  Check me out at my new website, www.thankyoudaily.com.  I hope you'll join me over there.

Disclaimer

Gratitude is different for everyone.  "I am thankful for lemonade", "I am grateful for lemonade", "I am happy to have some lemonade", "My life would be missing something if there were no lemonade"; it's all the same to me.

I am aware that not everyone believes in God and unlike some, I have no problem with that.  I do not intend for this blog to be about God or any other deity.  This blog is about being thankful, period.  Being thankful for the big things like life and family and being thankful for the little things like lemonade and air conditioning.  I don't really care who you are thankful to.  It's not my business.  And I'm not here to make you believe the same thing that I do.  I know who I am thankful to and how being thankful is making my life better. I'm not always happy and I will never pretend to be, but looking for things to be thankful for makes the rough times a lot shorter than they used to be.

My sincere hope is that by reading this blog, you will begin to be more actively thankful in your life.

One Man's Testimony

I woke up this morning feeling pretty tired, but nothing was hurting so I counted it all joy.  In that moment, I decided that today is going to be a good day, even though what I really wanted to do was to go back to sleep.

As I walked Tildy, I was looking for something beautiful to snap a picture of so that I would have something to share on Instagram.  It's funny how since I started being really active with this notion of thankfulness, I now look for little things to give thanks for and to share with others.  It's kinda cool.  Anyway, my neighbor's sunflowers were particularly pretty this morning, but Matilda was off to the races, so I didn't get a chance to snap a picture.

On our way back to the house, a familiar green truck flagged me down.  It belongs to one of my neighbors up the street, but I had never met him.  He pulled over, rolled down the window, and his yellow Lab/Retriever mix tried to say hello before the man could utter a word.  Matilda went crazy.  I had to pick her up to keep her quiet and calm.

The man's name was Roberto.  He was wearing a sunshine yellow humane society shirt and a smile as broad as his nutmeg colored face.  He told me that he sees me walking my dog all of the time and he had some questions.  The dog in the car is the first dog he's ever had and he had questions about the cost of shots and how often he should put out food.  The mixture of his smile and sincere excitement was contagious.  He told me that his life was a mess and then God sent this dog just for him and now he doesn't feel so alone.  He was definitive in his belief in God and told me that he believes the Father and the Son have conversations with each other.  He said that his belief came later in life but that it has had a strong impact on him.  He told me how he was reading the scripture and how he now believes that we were made in His image.  He struggled for his next words because his English wasn't the best, but he managed to connect his prior statement about image to his next thought; "If I show hate towards someone, I look like a demon and that scares me.  So I try to show love so I look like Him."

Right before he left, he told me I should drop by sometime for coffee.  He told me bye with another bright smile and waved as he drove away.

My encounter with Roberto made me so happy I could have skipped the rest of the way home.  I am so thankful that I met him.  He filled my morning with sunshine and happiness and he made it a morning that I won't soon forget.

Furry Smiling Face

Who wouldn't be thankful for this furry smiling face?  She stayed by my side all weekend and made me feel less isolated.  I love her so much.

Happiness

I just got a call from one of my oldest and dearest friends.  I'll call him Sam.  Even though he attended a funeral today, he said he had a really good day.  He sounded genuinely happy.  I haven't heard that from him in quite awhile.  His happiness made me happy.  I'm so thankful that he found happiness today.

It's over.

It's been a long and tiring day at work. Today, all I have the energy to say is I'm thankful that this day is over.  I'm heading to bed and it's not even 7:00.

My iPod

I love music.  If you want to give me a message and have me remember it forever, set it to music and make sure it has catchy tune or a funky beat.  "Schoolhouse Rock" was made for kids just like me.  Had it not been for those little tunes, I probably wouldn't be able to recite the preamble of the Constitution or tell you what year women earned the right to vote.

Music is intoxicating to me.  There is nothing else in the world that I've ever experienced (or wish to experience) that makes me believe that I could sing with Prince or dance with Janet.  If you ever pull up next to me at a stop light, you'll see what I mean.

For more than a year, I have been without a laptop which meant that I couldn't listen to any of my cds because I don't have a cd player in the house.  It also meant that I couldn't update my iPod.  It also meant that I really couldn't buy any new music because I wouldn't be able to listen to it.  Well, this weekend changed all that.  I now have a working laptop and I have bee jammin' ever since.  I've listen to music that I've owned for a long time, but had never played. 

I am still amazed at the technology involved in the iPod.  It is an awesome thing to be able to have all of the music that you own in one place.  Maybe in the next couple of years, I'll decide to upgrade to one that has Bluetooth, but for now, I am very happy with the one I have.  It's not even half full yet.

Today, music got me through the day.  I am thankful for a working laptop, my iPod, and the music.

"Look it up!"

I came across this quotation today and I immediately thought of my mother.

My mother is a teacher by nature.  She taught English for many years, but even after she left the classroom, there has been an element of education in everything she's accomplished.  I think it's in her DNA.  She once told me a story about one of her relatives that taught with Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.  I think I come from a long line of educators.

When I was a kid, my mother taught a class on life skills to young adults with learning disabilities.  She would take me to class with her and I would learn right along with them.  Mom is not one to pacify; she expects the same out of everyone, regardless of their ability, and that is to perform at your highest potential, whatever that may be.  I have many memories of her forcing me to reach that potential.  Most of them involve me asking her a question only to hear "Look it up!" as her response. 

My favorite memory of mom using her teacher skills on me was in elementary school.  I can't remember if I was in the third or fifth grade.  We were assigned to write a book.  We had to tell a story in chapter form and after we finished, the teacher taught us how to bind the book.  (It was a pretty cool assignment, in retrospect.)  I decided to write about a cat and that's about all I had as an idea.  Well, that wasn't good enough for my mom. 

"Tell me about the cat.  What does it look like?"

"It looks like a cat."

"Ok, but what does this cat look like?  What color is it?  What size is it?"

After she pulled a thorough description of  the cat out of me (I decided it was a pink cat that had a peculiar mark on it), then I had to decide what happened to the cat.  And each step of the way, I had to be thorough in my description.  I remember once responding to her with, "I don't know" and she fired back with "Why don't you know?  This is your story.  You do know.  Now tell me."

Eventually, I churned out a pretty good story that I am still proud of 30 years later.  Had my mom told me how to spell every word and spoon-fed me the details of the story, I'm sure I would've forgotten about this experience a long time ago.  She knew I had the potential to figure it out and she made me do it at every turn.  For that, I am thankful.

"On with the show! This is it!"

 

I can't imagine growing up without "The Bugs Bunny and Road Runner Show" on Saturday mornings.  When I was a kid, it came on at 11:00 and lasted for an hour.

The Warner Brothers cartoons, and in particular Chuck Jones' contribution to that body of work, has seen me through difficult times as an adult.  I love these cartoons and am thankful for their irreverent sense of humor.  Saturday morning wouldn't be the same without them.

 

Enjoy!

 

 



Stern Encouragement

When I hit 900 likes on my Facebook page yesterday, I sent an excited text message to my friend, whom I will call Jerry, that simply said, "900 likes!!!".  He responded with, "Lol.  Keep going."

Jerry is always good for stern encouragement which is exactly what I needed.  I have a tendency to get really excited about a project and then fizzle out when things don't move at the pace I expected.

I'm really thankful for Jerry's special brand of encouragement.  I think it will be invaluable in the weeks and months to come.

I sent him a text this morning when I saw this.

He was a little more excited, but still kept his cool.  We'll see what happens when we hit 2,000.  :)



Work Neighbors

I was sitting in my office, closing out some files and listening to the rain beat loudly against my window when our office administrator yelled my name as if her hair was on fire.  I ran to the front office thinking that she was in dire need of help.  It turned out that one of the guys who works next door came over to tell me that I had a screw in my left rear tire and he could hear the air sputtering out of it.

I'm so thankful that he took the time to tell me about it.  Had he not, I might have been stuck in the pouring rain, on the side of the road, with a flat tire, and no idea how to change it.  (Note to self: Learn how to change a tire!)  Because he took the time to tell me, I am now sitting at the tire shop, watching television while waiting to see if they can patch the tire or if I'll have to buy a new one.  Y'all know what I'm hoping for, right?

Post Script: They were able to patch the tire and send me on my way.  Whew!

Fake It 'Til You Make It

When I woke up this morning, I was not in a good mood.  I had to fight to get to sleep last night and I didn't feel rested when I woke up.  I hurt all over and had to convince myself that staying home from work today wasn't a feasible option.

I wasn't in a positive place and I most certainly didn't feel thankful for anything.  Just as I was rolling out of bed, the phrase "fake it 'til you make it" starting ringing in my head.  I listened to that voice and started coming up with reasons to be thankful even though I didn't really feel it.  "Well, at least I can feel the pain in my legs.  Well, at least I have teeth the brush.  Well, at least I have shoes to put on my swollen feet."

I can't say that I'm in a more positive place, but positivity and happy don't equate to thankful and anyone that tells you that it does has probably drank some sort of Kool-Aid concoction that I would advise against you trying.  What this exercise has done for me is stopped me from dwelling in the negative for today.  Yeah, I don't feel good.  Yeah, I don't want to be at work.  But there is still something to be thankful for and I'm going to try and hold on to that truth to get me through this day.

I hope that if your day hasn't started off very well, that you'll be able to fake it 'til you make it to get through this day.

Jack

This is my nephew, "Jack".  He 14 months old and smart as a whip.  My sister has been a little worried about him because he would not walk without holding onto something.  Today, her worry ended and we are all very thankful.

Running Water and The Fix-It Friend

Last night, I turned on the shower and just as the water started feeling good, the water stopped flowing.  The water would come out of the faucet, but not through the showerhead.  Instead of getting upset and stressed out the way I normally would have, I said a quick thank you for running hot water and I filled the tub and took a bath instead of a shower.

A little later, I texted a friend and asked him to come over with a wrench.  He showed up, but without a wrench.  He was already out and about when I texted him and didn't go home before he stopped by.  I explained to him what the problem was and what I knew the solution to be. 

He said, "You don't have any kind of tools for this?".

"Yeah, I've got tools, but I don't think I have what I need for this job."

I retrieved the set of pliers I had, gave them to him, and watched him as he did exactly what I knew needed to be done.  He fixed my shower for me but what I learned in the process was that I had everything I needed to do the job myself.

I'm thankful that my friend came to my aid, but I'm even more thankful that I was reminded that I already have the tools I need to take care of myself.

Perspective

This morning, I woke up feeling pretty awful.  Just about all of the joints in my hands and feet were swollen and my back felt like it hand no bend in it at all.  I was exhausted but had slept through the night.  I wasn't sure that I was going to make it into work today.

Then my best friend sent me a message asking for the contact info of my rhuematologist.  A friend of hers has a friend who is also fighting lupus and by the description of things, her battle is much tougher than mine.  Her organs have become involved in her disease and it sounds pretty serious.

At that moment in time, I said a quick "thank you", and rolled over for a little more sleep before I started my day.

Free Breakfast

I was in a good mood this morning and was particularly hungry, so I decided to stop for breakfast at Chick-fil-a.  By the time I pulled up to the drive thru, they were out of chicken and I had to wait a whopping three and a half minutes for a fresh chicken biscuit.  I didn't mind, but in this fast paced world that we live in, Chick-fil-a felt the need to do something to compensate me for my wait and gave me a coupon for a free chicken biscuit to use on my next visit.  Woohoo!!!  Boy, am I thankful for that!

Wonderful Weekend

I've been away from both the blog and the Facebook page for a few days because I've been out of town and had very spotty service.  So much happened during my visit home that I am thankful for, it could take up a few posts.  So as not to bore you, I'll be succinct and condense it all into one post.

Wednesday, July 30th - I drove home to Virginia on this day.  There is so much beauty between the Bay and the mountains.  While I hate the long drive, I enjoy taking in the scenery.  I also enjoy being in the car with my favorite tunes.  This trip was all about James Brown.  I am so thankful that I made it to Virginia safely.

Thursday, July 31st - I had lunch with Grandma on this day.  She wanted a chicken sandwich, so I brought her some Chick-fil-a and we sat and talked.  I got completely caught up on all the family happenings and what has been happening in Grandma's neighborhood.  We talked about life and we talked about God.  It was a great conversation.  I love my grandma and I'm very thankful for her.

Friday, August 1st - I had breakfast and another good conversation with grandma.  Lunch was with my best friend from high school.  We don't talk very often, but when we do, we're able to pick right back up without missing a beat.  It's funny how two people that have so much in common found each other so early in life.  I'm thankful for her.

Later in the day, I fulfilled the purpose of my trip home.  I took my Dad and Stepmom to see the new James Brown movie, "Get On Up".  The movie was absolutely phenomenal and it surpassed our expectations.  After the movie, we went to dinner and continued to talk about the movie.  We had such a good time.  The dinner conversation turned to family and I heard a lot about my family that I'd never heard before. This was one of those occasions that I'm sure we will be talking about for years to come.  I'm thankful that I decided to make seeing the movie with Dad a priority and I'm thankful that we were able to experience it together.

Saturday, August 2nd - I traveled back to Maryland without incident and for that I am thankful.

Sunday, August 3rd - Matilda let me sleep until 8:15.  Very thankful for that.  I spent the rest of the day sleeping, thinking, resting, researching, and writing.  It felt good to be a bit productive today.

This was such a great little getaway.  I'm hopeful that it will sustain me for quite awhile.

1818 

The Godfather of Soul

When I woke up this morning, I was hurting all over.  Even the bottom of my feet felt bruised.  I spent a little longer in bed than normal and then pushed myself to get moving.  While I was in the shower, this song came to me.



James really had something here.  I wasn't feeling like dancing, but the song made me bop a little bit and by the time I got into my car, my mind was in a much better place than my body.

Everybody has a different philosophy on how to get through this life.  Some pray.  Some meditate.  Some choose to numb themselves for the duration of the journey by overeating, doing drugs, or drinking.  But some, like The Godfather of Soul, make music and tell us to dance.

Today, I am thankful to James and his directive to "Get up offa that thing and dance til you feel better".

Awakened

The power at my house went off for a few minutes on Friday morning.  I remembered to set all of the clocks except I didn't reset the alarm time on my bedside clock.  This morning, I woke up at 6:35 which is about the time I normally get up.  The clock, of course, didn't go off.  Matilda didn't nudge me, asking to go outside.  I just woke up.  For that, I am truly thankful.

Click

This is a list of my top six goals in life.  I keep this post-it note on my laptop and have had it for some time now.  It's lost its stickiness, but for some reason I've held on to this instead of creating a new one.

Somewhere along the line, I stopped believing that any of these things could ever be possible and then yesterday, something clicked.  I told someone that I really wanted to go to Greece and in that moment, it seemed very possible.  Now I'm completely focused on making it happen.

Today I'm thankful for the click.

I'm Trying.

                         

I've been living in the same house for seven years.  I love this house.  The living room has these great columns that made me fall in love with the house.  The kitchen is a great size and has soft close drawers.  My bedroom is big and I have a guest room that I use as a sewing room. While the house has a few structural and design flaws (it had termites and the bathroom is terribly small), I really love this house.  It's comfy, cozy, and for the most part, fits me to a "T".

There's just one problem.  It isn't mine.

I rent this house and every couple of years, I get very frustrated with that fact.  I constantly dream of owning a home; a cute little house with a small yard.  A house that I can individualize with a bright yellow front door and fill with all of my favorite things.

I need to stop doing that to myself.

I need to change my mindset.

Just because I don't own this house doesn't mean that I can't make it my own.  I can't put a yellow door on it, but I can certainly paint a wall or two and unpack that last box that holds a few of my sentimental belongings.  I definitely can unclutter a few areas so that I don't feel stressed in my house.

I am working on shaking the notion that the current status quo isn't good enough and being more thankful for the space that I inhabit.

London Calling

My best friend and her family moved to London very recently.  The five hour time difference has been difficult for me to get used to because she's my every day talk/text/email friend.  I can't wait to visit her there. There were a lot of detailed logistics associated with this move, but she handled it all with ease.  I am thankful that this transition has been a smooth one for her.  I'm also thankful that she and her family will have this amazing year abroad. Photo Credit: Wikipedia (cc-by-as-2.5)

Kindness

I work with the public.  I see people when they are at one of their lowest points.  Today, I prepared someone for a very bad outcome.  Then, through no action of mine, the situation changed and the outcome was as positive as it could have been, given the circumstances.  The person was overjoyed, hugged me tight, and through her tears said, "Thank you for your kindness."

Her words really struck me.  I can't recall a time that anyone has ever specifically thanked me for my kindness.  I don't believe I treated her any differently than anyone else I worked with today, yet she thought I treated her with enough kindness to warrant a very specific thanks.

I was having a slightly difficult day until I encountered this woman.  I'm thankful that things worked out for her.  I'm also thankful for the words she chose to give to me.  Her thankfulness completely changed my day.

Adventurous Spirit

My mother is on a journey; one that I can say I wouldn't attempt, at least in the way she is doing it.  Mom has an adventurous spirit.  I'm not sure that she's always had it.  I think it's something she's acquired with age.  Whatever the case may be, I think I got a bit of that spirit too.  I've done a few things in my time that I look back on and wonder what made me attempt such a thing.  It must have been that adventurous spirit in my genes.  Thanks, Mom.

Drunk Driver Hit My Car

Last night around 10:30, there was a violent banging at my front door.  Even though there was an urgency to the knock, I decided to ignore it.  I figured that the only person that would be knocking at my door that late would be my crazy neighbor, who was undoubtedly drunk or high at that hour of the night.

The knock came again and Matilda went crazy.  Her loud, incessant barking blew my cover and I started to get a little scared.  Her barking combined with my car parked out front pretty much let everyone know that I was at home and ignoring the door.

The knock came again about a minute later and this time, my phone started ringing at the same time.  I was totally freaked.

"Uh...hello?"

"This is the City Police Department.  Is this..."

"Uh, yes..."

"Do yo still live at..."

"Uh, yeah.."

"Well, I have an officer knocking at your door right now. Would you please answer the door?  He needs to speak with you."

My fear was relieved, but then anxiety creeped in.

"M'aam, is this your car?"

"Yes.  What's wrong?"

"Would you come take a look at it for me?  A drunk driver hit a few cars on your street and we think he may have damaged your car."

My anxiety peaked and then quickly went away as he showed me the "damage" he had observed.

This is above the left rear tire.  The next picture is above the left front tire.  You can barely see the scrape.

The car down the street was all crunched and dented.

I am thankful that no one was hurt, that the damage to my car was minor, and that they were able to get the driver off the street before someone was killed.

I'm also thankful that the person at the door was an officer because when I went down the steps to answer the door, my dog, Matilda, decided to stay upstairs in the bed.  Some watch dog she is.

The End of a Long Short Week

Even though I only worked four days this week, it has felt like a particularly long week.  I am so thankful that the work week is over.  It's not like I have a work-free weekend.  I have a few obligations, but at least they all start later than 8:00 a.m.. I hope Matilda realizes that tomorrow is Saturday and lets me sleep in a little.  If she does, I'll be sure to be thankful for that tomorrow.  

Mom

Today, I learned that two friends experienced very significant losses.  I am sad for them both and have no idea what to say or do for either one of them.  I've never been good at these kinds of situations.   I'm the girl who will plan an event for you, or make you a quilt, or take care of some details that you shouldn't have to deal with during your grief.  I'm good at those things because I don't have to find consoling words. I can just let my actions speak for me.

It's hard to be thankful under these circumstances.   While I was thinking about what I was going to write about tonight, I called my mom and talked to her for awhile.

I'm thankful I could talk to my mom today.

This is my mom on the day of one of our best ever conversations.

Mountain of Steps

                            

My knee has been giving me trouble for the past few days.  Today, the steps in my house looked like a mountain to me.  I am thankful I was able to get up the steps without too much trouble tonight.  (That's Matilda at the top of the stairs, wondering what is taking me so long.)

The New Girl at Chipotle

I just returned from a very brief, but much needed vacation.  Money is now very tight until next week.

I went to Chipotle for lunch today.  There was a new girl working and she piled my bowl with lots of rice, beans, and chicken.  By the time my burrito bowl was complete, it was barely contained in the bowl.  I was hardly able to finish eating one little corner.  I had more than enough for dinner and had a hard time finishing it all.

Today, I am thankful for the new girl at Chipotle that gave me enough food for both lunch and dinner.

Rest

Today was a day of rest.  When I wasn't asleep, I was watching tv.  I am thankful to have had a relaxing day.

He Woke Me Up

My flight home leaves New Orleans at 6:55 a.m..  Last night's concert didn't end until after 1:00 a.m.. I have terrible anxiety about oversleeping and missing a flight, but even with that, I was able to get a quick nap and leave the hotel by 4:15 to get to the airport in plenty of time to avoid any last minute drama.

I am thankful that He let me get a little sleep AND that He woke me up on time.

I am also thankful that at this dark and early hour, he sent me a lady cab driver.

July 4th

Today, I am thankful for freedom.  The freedom not enjoyed by my ancestors; to go where I want and when I want, to think for myself, to read without it being a secret, to look any person in the eye and speak my mind, to worship any god I choose, to be considered a person and not property.

I am mostly thankful for the freedom to be me, whoever I might be.

(Maybe this should've been my Juneteenth post, but I've always reflected on The 4th this way.)

Simple

I had a good day.  For that, I am thankful.

Foresight

I'm thankful that I was able to think far enough ahead to take an extra day off to actually get prepared for my trip.  I'm also thankful that I know myself well enough to know that I wasn't going to feel like cooking this week and that I should make enough food over the weekend to last me for the week.

Foresight, what a wonderful thing.

The Simple Things

After a long day at work, I am thankful for a long hot shower and my memory foam mattress.

And I'm still thankful for chocolate cake (and ice cream and syrup).

Mr. Hershey

Today, I baked a chocolate cake.  It was soooo good.

I used the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Coco container.  It's quick and easy and because of that, it has been my go-to chocolate cake recipe for awhile now.

While I was baking today, I thought about Milton Hershey and the stories I've heard about all of his failures, some quite devastating, before he found success with the chocolate.  And as I ate the cake that I topped with vanilla ice cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup, I was quite thankful that Mr. Hershey persevered.

I hope someday someone will be thankful that I persevered.

Oh, and I'm thankful for chocolate cake.

 

Understanding

I have a friend that constantly asks me to hang out and I consistently say no for one reason or another. Today, when I extended my thanks for the invitation and the assurance that I will one day say yes, the response I got was touching.  My friend said, "Oh, I'm gonna keep asking!".

I am thankful for understanding friends.

Matilda

On this lonely Friday night, I'm thankful to have my dog, Matilda.  I can't remember how I filled these kinds of evenings before she came into my life.

Panera

I just had the best salad from Panera Bread.  I always get the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and it never disappoints.  I also enjoy going to Panera because it makes me think about my dad.  Once, when he came to visit me in Baltimore, we had lunch at a Panera.  It was his first time there and he really liked it a lot.  We had a good conversation that day.  I can't remember what we talked about, but I remember leaving the conversation feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Today, I am thankful for Panera.

Heat

For the past week, my fingers have gone numb in the afternoon because I get so cold at work.  I turn on my heater and it helps, but my thumbs still stay numb. ( "My thumbs still stay numb." Try saying that five times fast.  Lol. )

Today, I'm thankful for my little space heater.  I'm thankful for the person who designed it and all the people that assembled it and shipped it to Target so that I could buy it.  I never thought I'd be using this bad boy in the summer.

Family and Friend

This past weekend, we had a Family Day on my Dad's side of the family.  It was so great to see everyone.  We had such a good time just acting crazy and telling stories.  This was the first time that my Dad and his siblings were the oldest people in attendance.  This gathering was a definite transition. None of them had any responsibility at this gathering and me and my cousins catered to them.  I enjoyed watching them realize that the order of things has shifted, although it also shook me a little bit. I also enjoyed watching my cousin's kids play with each other, although it also made me a little sad that I didn't have a child of my own.  In the end, I mostly felt thankful to be around my family.

Today, my best friend spent almost an hour online trying to register me for classes at a conference next year.  She did it for me because I was in court and couldn't get to a computer.  She could've spent that early morning time with her family, but she decided to help me.

Today I am thankful for my wonderful family and sisterly best friend.

That Time Dad Met James Brown

In 2001, I gave my Dad tickets to a James Brown concert for Fathers' Day.  Our seats were just a couple of rows from the stage and we were right in the center.  I had such a good time watching Dad get down with JB and the boys.  I had never seen him so excited.  There was a point during the concert that both my stepmom and I thought that he might have a heart attack because he was so hype.

After the show we went back to our hotel and hung out in the lobby, and who walks in but The Godfather himself.  I had nothing to lose, so I walked up to him, told him how much we enjoyed the show and asked him if he would come over to meet my Dad since this was his Fathers' Day gift.  He happily obliged.  He even let us snap a picture.

Dad sent me a copy of the picture for my birthday the next year.  It took another few years before I noticed his message to me on the back.

Nothing I can ever do for him will top that.  He still talks about it a couple times a year.

I'm so thankful I was able to give him that experience.