Happy Father's Day, Dad

Today is a big day for my dad. It's Father's Day, of course, and he's a dad 4 times over. It's also my sister's graduation from high school. His youngest is getting ready to head to college, and he will have an empty nest for the first time in over 40 years. One more thing to cross of the list of worries that wake him up in the middle of the night.

What I hope my dad will receive for Father's Day, if not on this one, is friendship. His friendship is something I hold dear. The ability to laugh and joke with him, to not filter myself and know he'll accept me, to be able to ask for advice and offer it, these are the things about our relationship that make it so great. I hope for him that he gets to that place with all four of his children, as the younger ones inch their way slowly toward adulthood.

And I hope he'll get a decent night's sleep, too. These things I would give to him if I could.