Happy Father’s Day to the first man who loved me. To the man who taught me that a little hard work never hurt anybody. To the man who suggested I ask my mother. To the man who told me I was going to eat and I was going to like it. To the man who taught me the best exclamation: “Man up a tree!” To the man who taught me that ice cream was at the bottom of the food pyramid; meaning 8-10 servings a day was perfectly acceptable. To the man who worked hard every day of the week so that my siblings and I would never know what it meant to be hungry. To the man who passed on his belly laugh to me. To the man who taught me that Christmas was about Baby Jesus, not about gifts. To the man who loved my mom unconditionally and flirted with her in front of us and became an example to his children of the happiness of a healthy, beautiful marriage. To the man who not only walked me down the aisle and gave me away, but also married me to the man of my dreams. To the man who prays for his children by name every day. To that man: happy father’s day. I love you, Dad.