Pops, part two

Today is my dad's 78th birthday.

Last year when I called him to wish him a happy birthday, he said, "Is that today?"

My dad doesn't really worry about holidays or birthdays, but every once in a while he remembers his birthday or yours. Then you get a special gift. It might not be exactly what you wanted, but you know that he thought about it a lot and decided this is exactly what you would want, or need.

That's the thing about my dad... he's always right. Even when he's so wrong.

It's hard for me to reconcile that my dad is 78 because in my world, my dad can do anything and is truly invincible. When he and my mom visited last year, I got to see close up how he's aging...being older makes him more fearful and slower and pissed off at the world sometimes.

But he's still my dear old dad, and even he's really working my last nerve, usually at exactly that moment, I realize that this is why I love him so much... why I hate to do anything that I think he might disapprove of ...