80 reasons to be proud

Written in the summer of 2000 for my father's 80th birthday

80 Reasons I’m proud to be your son:

1.  my solid Irish name

2.  my inherited upstanding eyebrows

3.  body noises

4.  irish jawbone

5.  my inherited concern for money

6.  and your heart to help others in need…like your sons.

7.  sense of humor

8.  my enjoyment of watching the Tigers

9.  and Lions

10.  and Red Wings with you

11.  going to Olympia and Tiger Stadium with you

12.  giving me a ticket to the 1971 All-Star game

13.  taking us all to the Thanksgiving parades and the game

14.  I’m proud to have inherited a dose of your pessimism

15.  and a dose of your optimism

16.  coaching me in little league baseball

17.  coaching me in city league soccer

18.  watching you pummel Kevin in the basement with boxing gloves.

19.  your memorable Mayberry RFD Goober smile.

20.  happily eating mushy corn while all of us ate steak.

21.  teaching me how to cup my ear when I can’t hear the TV.

22.  taking me to Sanders when I was small

23.  dipping my fingers in the chocolate vats

24.  dropping army men in the chocolate vats

25.  your golfing tips

26.  still beating all your sons at golf.

27.  walking the course instead of taking the cart

28.  our Pittsburgh heritage

29.  our Pittsburgh aunts

30.  and cousins

31.  and eccentric uncles

32.  teaching me how to ride a bike and getting it on video

33.  your priceless home videos

34.  marrying mom

35.  not marrying Mrs. Hubbard

36.  not losing your cool when Michael drove into a house.

37.  not losing your cool when I backed into a police car.

38.  the 38^th reason I’m proud to be your son-fighting for our country so we could

39.  gather together here today in freedom and embrace our God given rights

40.  freedom from fear

41.  freedom from want

42.  freedom from persecution

43.  and freedom to choose.

44-80.  the 37 years I have been able to call you Dad.