Happy Birthday, Dad

My dad just turned 70 yesterday. It's amazing to think of all that he's seen in the last 70 years. Dad was born in Poland in 1938, and grew up in post-war Poland. He has memories of his village under siege as the German and Russian fronts duked it out literally on his front lawn. He traveled to America when he was 23 years old so that he could start a new life. It took Poland three years to grant him a passport so that he could leave the country, so as a 20 year old he was already thinking of his future and how to make it better in the land of opportunity. He's watched his new country go through changes, and noticed how much his home country grew and changed every time he went back.

He met my Mom, somehow convinced her to marry him and they raised five kids. He worked himself to the bone so that all of us wouldn't go without and so that we would all go to college. He grew more tolerant over the years, as his children grew and went through their stages. Now he can sit back and watch his 11 grandchildren grow and go through their stages--and watch his children grow into adults, spouses and parents.

Dad, thanks for everything you've ever done for me.

Happy birthday.

This is me, Dad and Todd at the surprise birthday that my brothers, sisters and I threw for him on Saturday night: