Dads 70th Birthday!

As we gathered to celebrate my fathers 70th birthday, all I could think of was, WOW! My Dad is 70? How did this happen? Where have all the years gone? While I feel blessed that my Dad is here with us, I just can't imagine him being this, well, old! In my eyes he still 30 years old. (which is odd since I'm in my 40's). I don't look at either of my parents and see age. I just see Mom and Dad.

This month is also a year since my father in law passed away. So while we celebrate my Dads birthday, we mourn that we lost my husbands father a year ago. Its a bitter sweet time.

Dads birthday party was a huge success. My father grew up in a family of 12 kids, 6 boys, and 6 girls. My grandparents immigrated from Italy to give their children a better life. The stories that my aunts and uncles shared at the party, had us all laughing and reminiscing. My children sat and listened to the stories of their grandfathers childhood in awe. They were amazed that he would wake at 4am at the age of 6 to go deliver bread before school. They didn't understand what life was like for them, and that their grandfather was very poor. But even though they didn't have a lot, they had each other and many many memories. For the most part, they were happy.

Breakfast for my father growing up was a bowl of hot chocolate with a slice of Italian toast in it. Lunch may be a pepper and egg sandwich. Dinner would be macaroni and beans, or macaroni and peas, or macaroni and some other vegetable. Rarely did they eat meat. Only once a week, on Sundays, would there be meatballs, pork and sausage in the sauce. So they learned to appreciate what they had, when they had it.

My father worked all through school doing different jobs. When he graduated he joined the army and was stationed in Germany. He fell in love with the country and has fond memories of that time.
When he returned to the states and was discharged, he met my mom and two years later they were married. By that time Dad had a job with the city fire department. Mom stayed home, as was the norm back then, and raised her children, kept her home, and cooked with a vengeance!
We never knew if our parents were struggling or not financially. We never felt like we did without anything. But Dad sometimes was working 3 different jobs to make ends meet, all without complaint. He wanted to give his children what he didn't have growing up. Eventually Dad went to college, graduated, and became a Lt. on the department. Later he would become the Union President and hold that position for over 20 years.

Dad is funny. He has an amazing laugh, and he is a huge story teller. Even if he may stretch the stories a bit to make them a little more entertaining!

Growing up, my father was not the disciplinarian in the house. That was mom. Dad was busy working. But if Dad got mad, we knew we were in big trouble. Rarely did he get angry with us.

When my parents became grandparents I was amazed at the amount of love that they had to share! I saw my father differently. Now he had the time to spend with my children and he did so willingly, lovingly and eagerly! He has a lot of fun with them. Taking them everywhere, and spoiling them rotten! I don't think I would have ever saw the day that my father and my son would be jamming on guitars together, but they do!!

I cherish my family and thank God every single day for giving me the best parents in the world! I couldn't ask for more loving, caring, accepting and honorable parents.