Happy Birthday Dad!

My dad today turned 71.

Now, when I see someone in their seventies, most of them look like they should be there, but my dad simply does not. He looks so young.

I talked to him this evening as he was driving home with mom from one of their favorite restaurants, 1200 miles away from me. He had prime rib tonight, one of his favorites, and even though he didn't say so, I could tell it [and his day] must have been pretty good. His voice was so clear. I could tell that he was happy… and I was happy. We joked. We laughed. We light-heartedly lamented the ill-timed demise of an air-conditioning unit and the surprisingly low cost to fix it… Stuff fathers and sons talk about with joy. We said how much we missed each other [and we do]. We said we loved one another [and we do]. And then, as all conversations do, it ended and we said a yearning-laden, inevitable goodbye.

I haven't lived within 500 miles of my parents for over 11 years and I usually only see them two-or-three times each year.

Those of you who have family close by, please count your blessings.

Happy Birthday Dad! Wish I could be there.