Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's Day.
Sadly, my dad died almost 40 years ago, and to this very day, I miss him. We had the usual fights, arguments, and disagreements, as is inevitable when 2 stubborn people butt heads, but his concern for and love of his family was never, ever in doubt.
He was of the old school......his word was absolute law as we grew up, and to step beyond a certain line brought a smack on the butt that drove home the point that the line was crossed only at grave risk. And signs of affection did not come easily to him, not because he didn't feel the emotion, but it was not the thing that men did in that era.
But his love for his kids was shown in so many ways...teaching us the right way, the ONLY way, to fish for trout was with a dry fly and a bamboo rod that was probably older than we were, taking walks through the mud as Spring set in, learning the sight and sound of the birds of the area, spending endless hours in his Studebaker station wagon learning all his shortcuts (all of which added miles and hours to any trip, and limitless fun and excitement to the trip as well), exploring things in the area that most people never knew existed (lead mines, iron ore pits and such), listening to the radio in his car with him as we drove through the night, trying to pick up WWVA or KDKA (look them up, they are still there), and the quiet words of encouragement when they were most needed.
Where I am, what I am, what I have done, so much of that is because of the strength, the sense of right and wrong, the courage that he passed on to me. Thanks, dad.