excerpts from My Hero

written by my daughter a week after her 12th birthday...

Now I didn’t write this just to talk about how my dad is an all around good guy. No, I wrote this to thank him for being strong when the people around him weren’t, for helping everyone else when he himself was in need, and for accepting the bad things in life and dealing with them. But most of all, for being the best dad he can be.

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My dad likes all nature, but most of all birds. He likes nature walks and car trips. He loves to bike ride. He used to make kites and still does fly them. Even though he’ll never admit it he probably loves our dog Reuben more than anyone else does. He loves being with kids in general but mostly his own. He likes to cook food, especially when he can add lots of spices. Most of all, he loves making people happy.

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Another big reason that my dad is special is that even though now is his time of need, he’s helping everyone else. You see, next week, my dad is going into the hospital for a serious operation. Everyone is helping out, but my dad is acting so casual it’s almost like he doesn’t need help. He makes it seem like it’s not a big deal, even though it is. He’s been helping me cope more than I’ve been helping him. Everyone knows that on the inside, he doesn’t feel the way he’s acting, but it’s making everyone feel better to see that he’s not in tears.

My dad has been spending a lot of time with me these days. Now I realize that he is making up for the time that is going to be lost while he is recuperating. He appreciates all the time we spend together and that has taught me to appreciate all things big and small. He, and of course the book Journey, helped me realize that, “things don’t have to be perfect, they can be good enough.”