City Sophisticate: A Tribute to My Father.. I Mean Dad

"All together now, one at a time." Just one of the ridiculous, nonsensical expressions my dad uses and then splits a gut laughing about after everyone looks at him in utter confusion. He's always been not just the father my brothers and I need, but the dad we all admire and love spending time with because of his childish and silly ways that are just so well balanced by his applicable wisdom and advice in any given moment, pertaining to any issue or experience we may need direction on. Not only that, but my dad has always been our biggest supporter (along with my mom). He may offer his fatherly advice on our choice of path and perhaps nudge us with his wise words, but no matter what path we embark on he has always believed in each of his children and celebrated each of our successes with pure joy and delight (no matter how many shakes of the head came before the moment of achievement).

To me, Dad has always been the very embodiment of the perfect man. A man who loves my mom endlessly, works tirelessly to support his not always deserving children with their goals and aspirations and still has always found the time to spend meaningful moments with us all. He never missed a baseball game of mine or a dance recital (although there was one time he and my brothers left early to head home and watch game 7 of the Stanley Cup. It's OK guys, I get in now. I forgive you.) He always made it to my brothers' hockey, football and rugby games. He did his best to get us all involved in "family fun" activities such as the year he signed us all on for golf memberships at Camelot Golf Course. I'm still missing a putter from when my brother Matt dumped my entire bag down the side of a jagged cliff on the 12th, in pure frustration brought on from my whining and complaining. I'm pretty sure I never finished a full 18 on that course. My brother Nick and I would always have a dust up around the 16th hole. Mom would just keep smiling and no matter how far in to the woods our ball would hook, she always had an encouraging comment such as "Great contact!" Dad would just play on, coach and motivate. At least my swing improved. "Watch the club face meet the ball, Jess," Dad would say. Much more strategic advice than my grandpa Dalton's advice, "Grip it and rip it!"

Father's Day is a day that we are all reminded of what it is our fathers mean to us. My dad has always been and continues to be my hero. Every day I get to spend with him is a blessing and every conversation I have with him is always filled with meaning and purpose, laughter and delight. I thank God each day for blessing me with the remarkable man that I get to call "Dad".