Happy Birthday Dad

Happy birthday to my dad today!Honestly, I just wrote an entire post about my dad, the wedding, his amazing speech and how I'm so much like him, but it felt flat. Our relationship is deeper than a quick blog post. Our ups and downs more complicated than should ever be covered on the Internet.But I wanted to write a public happy birthday for him because so much has changed for me since I was at a loss for words (and pictures) back on Father's Day when I wrote this.Then I wrote:

Being 20 days away from the wedding, I am most grateful for the chance to celebrate with my parents the life and relationship H and I have built. To acknowledge their support, love and influence on me as a person, and to use this as a milestone in recalibrating our relationship for the better.

I'm elated to say that the wedding was that and so much more. His father-of-the-bride speech was unbelievably intuitive, loving and really funny (see photo above). We have reset our relationship, brought it forward to the place I'd hoped for - me a productive adult with a loving spouse enjoying her parents for the people they are. And I think they'd agree all that work, and the changes, were for the better.And the best news? Because of the awesome wedding (and the photographers) I now have a bunch of photos of me & my dad. And I'm looking forward to taking more... next stop: Vegas family vacation.Happy birthday Dad - see you in Sin City!