Labor Day Weekend has always been a really nice weekend for my family. Since my dad’s birthday is September 3, we always celebrated it with him during Labor Day Weekend, usually on the Saturday or Sunday to avoid holiday traffic.
Facebook posted a pic of daddy and I from 5 years ago on his birthday. This was from 5 years ago, imagine that my hair was long and dark… haha. I look at that picture and all I see is how much I love him and miss him. It’s still so hard. 
If you notice in the picture I post of my dad, with the exception of being at a party he’s usually wearing some sort of t shirt with a saying on it. He had quite the collection of t shirts and hats. Daddy was mostly bald on top of his head so he was rarely without a hat. One time after coming here for dinner daddy showed me this order sheet for a hat that said, “And don’t forget my senior discount!” I quickly ordered him that hat and gave it to daddy for Christmas. I loved that he wore it; a lot!
One of our pictures together on another birthday he was wearing a t shirt with minions on it and it said something about his mood. He was a character, my dad.
I scored yesterday at the thrift (after convincing Samantha to come with me.) Daddy would have gotten a kick out of me thrift shopping and Samantha sitting one one of the couches for sale waiting for me and playing on her phone. I know he would have made a joke about it and of course would have said it was a “shoppers sky!”
Lately I’ve been telling my girls about the various cars my sister and I drove when we were younger and before we had “real” jobs. God’s honest truth I never knew you had to have the car’s oil changed every 3 months or so. My mechanic/Dad never taught us that so we drove whatever car he got us into the ground and then he would get us another. One time with this one car. the ignition cylinder wasn’t working right and after you put the key in you had to pray it would turn so you could start the engine. Well after classes one day the key wouldn’t turn so I kicked the steering column and ignition cylinder; my foot slipped and the next thing I knew I cracked the windshield! O.M.G. Was all I could think. Of course after that the key turned and I drove home and had to explain to daddy what happened. He did not bat an eye and was not mad. He was more curious of what did I think would happen after I kicked the cylinder? I didn’t really have an answer.
He loved us his children. This I know with all my heart. And he got such a kick out of all his grandchildren. I know he was proud of the number of grandchildren he had, there are 11. I saw it in his face when people would ask him how many grandkids he had. I have countless memories of him laughing at and with my kids. I also have a dear memory of him being as frustrated as I was when Thomas was off the wall behavior wise and no one had any answers for us so many years ago.
I know if they celebrate birthdays in heaven daddy is having a great one with everyone who had gone before him. No no more chemo, no more cancer. He’s cured. I just miss him so much. Happy birthday Daddy.
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 