Tony --- best to you, and for your dad.

What a cool thread. You see guys and gals, regardless of our past experiences, we that care for others in our mini-circles should care for all directly connected to us. The time will come for each of us to be a photo on a mantle with onlookers saying ... " yes, a man of character" or "hah, that man was a character!" Which will you be? We each can seek the best of others and push them up, or ... simply dwell on their vices and, well you know.

For me --- my pop is a PhD-er in Mathematics, a professor, former Dept. Head for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association), kind loving person and was a great provider to six children raised in private schools in a Country Club community of Miami Lakes. Today he is retired and after 6 by-passes has now been hit with a rare disease called Myelofibrosis ... his life has been shortened without warning.

He was always too busy for dad stuff, it seemed. When he divorced my mom all hell broke out, I was given man-of-the-house duties and hated his guts for years! Yet, he was always there when needed by his kids during that time even till today. I love him alot today as if none of that crap ever happened.

I wish for each of you as I have experienced, life will go full circle and help you show those closest to you what really matters --- yep, from what bothers you the most. People say, "Life is short ...", bull it's the longest thing we know --- make it count. No one is a great dad all the time ... especially me.

If you are a dad, well ... you know what to do, now don't you?!