Happy Birthday (By: Jessica)

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Dad!
Happy Birthday to you!

Dear Dad,
Happy Birthday!! I'm gonna be honest and tell you that I had to text Jill and ask her if your birthday was the 30th or 31st.... cause EVERY YEAR I get confused! Sorry!

I hope you have a great birthday in Heaven this year. I hope you celebrate with Jerry! I'm sure you two will play a round of golf, have a great steak dinner with a martini or two, and maybe play some video games together like old times.

I was thinking about you and your birthday coming up, while I was driving to work, and I began daydreaming about how we would celebrate your birthday if you were still here. Here is what my imagination worked up....

I, of course, would call you up bright and early and sing a beautiful "Whitney Houston like" version of Happy Birthday to you over the phone! You would prolly laugh and call it "catter-walling", but say "Thanks Bumpo" anyway!

I think that I would have gotten you a Nook or Kindle for your Birthday gift. I know you would have loved one! As much as you loved to read and loved technology, it would have been a perfect gift for you! (unless you might have already had one... then I think I would have gotten you a digital picture frame filled with pictures of Leo to put in your work area at work. You would have loved that!)

I also imagined that you and Mom would prolly be planning a trip to come visit us to celebrate your birthday. I have a feeling that you would have been down to see us a lot. I know with 100% certainty that you would be smitten with Leo and you wouldn't be able to get enough of him, and I'm almost as certain that you would completely adore Toby! I think you two would have gotten along great!

I would make you a German chocolate cake with coconut frosting, complete with candles. We would all sing to you as you blew them out and you would be beaming with joy! Dinner at Ruth's Chris or Stella's would be your choice and I would probably force Toby to get us tickets to see "something" at the Peace Center, knowing your love of theatre. Oh, and a carriage ride through downtown would defiantly be in order! You would probably want to go somewhere and have a drink or a coffee and maybe sit down by falls park or the bridge, not being in a hurry to do anything. I can almost hear you saying, "Isn't this nice. We are in no hurry."  Hearing your voice in my head makes me want to cry. It would be such a fun weekend and I have a feeling that I would be anxiously awaiting it!

I hate that it will never happen.

I miss you, Dad. A lot.

Happy Happy Birthday! I think I may even make a German Chocolate cake in your honor anyway!

Love,
Your Bumpo