Hey Daddy...
Happy Birthday. Today I'm thinking about you as a boy. I have this crazy idea that the birthdays that you have after you passed away make you a year younger each time.
One of the things I most admired about you was your youthful spirit. So enthused about life and so eager to share that with those around you. Your presence was like the joy of spending time with small kids. The wonder the excitement - fresh to the world without getting bored from experience. Sure you had your wise and thoughtful side and I benefited from that too. However, I think there is a wisdom in seeing the world and experiencing the world with the un-jaded passion and freshness of youth.
There is a guitar in my living room and in quiet moments around the edges of my busy life I pick it up. I pluck and the strings and their sound seeps into me and draws out memories of my childhood listening to you play and sing. Then it seeps deeper still and inside of me somewhere in a mysterious way is a little boy Ray learning to play guitar. Keenly focused in love with the sound and the look and feel of that magical instrument. Intent on making it sing for him. Practice practice fail correct try again practice improve reach it set a new goal on and on playing singing perfecting - then at last my Daddy singing songs to me as a man who taught himself to play guitar and to touch the hearts of his family and community with his music.
I've also been thinking on you as the smell of tack leather and horse sweat has visited me a few times this past year too. Oh how I remember your love of horses too. Makes me smile just thinking of your enthusiasm for melding with those powerful wild beasts and balancing between controlling them and riding with their spirit. Apache was an amazing force of nature - perfectly suited to you. I could see how it quickened you to be with him. I wish that I had spent more time around you and your horses but I was off and on to other things by the time you built the barn and brought them into your life.
Well I feel I'm petering out... usually when I come here I've been thinking on it a while and have some thing considered to say. I just came here sort of extemporizing today... Just wanted to note your birthday.
One last thing I guess. I'm not sure what you are up to or how you're doing exactly but I have thought this... here on this plane you are doing fine. Better than fine - you are doing very well indeed. Your children continue to make you proud as they walk this earth and do good things and manifest the character you helped instill. We appreciate these gifts by giving them away.
Thanks Dad
Love Rob
