Happy birthday, Daddy

Today is my dad's birthday. My dad is one of my favorite people in the world and here are some reasons why...

For nearly every birthday & Christmas, my gifts always have something to do with pictures. Sorry Daddy, this birthday will be no exception.

I love my dad because he loves my mama. They just celebrated their 30 some-odd year anniversary last month. Their marriage has always been a predictable & stable part of my life, and I realize that that is not something a lot of kids these days can say about their parents.

I love my dad because he walked me down the aisle. Moments before the wedding was about to start, he whispered to me, "It's not too late. You don't have to do this if you don't want to." What he meant was that even though we had invested so much time & money in the wedding, my happiness was more important to him than all of that. I would probably say that after five years of marriage to Kevin, he's not sorry that I decided to go through with it.

I love my dad because he loves my husband. Daddy used to tell me not to marry someone unless they put a twinkle in my eye, and I would go as far to say that I'm not the only one in our family who is a big fan of Kevin. I also love the fact that my dad gives hugs to everyone, including Kev. It's quite a sight to see a 6'4 man and a 5'6 man hug.

I love my dad because he loved his mother (my granny) and took such good care of her as she aged. He faithfully did little "honey do" chores for her, even if they were frustrating or didn't receive the thanks they deserved. As my parents grow old, I hope to be able to serve them as well as Daddy served his (though I'm not sure they'll let me!)

I love my dad because he supports me in everything I dream to do. Not only does he not begrudge the fact that I've chosen to live overseas, but he takes a trip all the way over here, even if it means eating weird food with chopsticks.

I love my dad because he makes me laugh. He is one of the funniest people I know, most likely because he is one of the smartest people I know. Whether it's cracking jokes about acrophobic squirrels or making a funny face behind a giant soldier statue, there is never a shortage of laughs when Dad is around.

I love my dad because he will always watch "Napoleon Dynamite" with me and will laugh almost as hard as I do. He even votes for Pedro!

I love my dad because he loves his dog. In order to be a proper Corbin, you must have a deep appreciation for all things dachshund.

I love my dad because he provided me the opportunity to graduate from college debt-free. I didn't realize what a blessing it was until I grew up some more and realized college isn't cheap. For my whole life, Daddy has always taught me how to spend & save in a wise way.

I love my dad because he loves the beach. He could sit for hours and just watch the waves go by. If I had all the money in the world, Daddy, I would buy you and mom a vacation in Italy's Cinque Terre so you could watch the waves, drink wine, and eat gelato. But until I win the lottery, this tribute blog post will just have to suffice! I love you!