It's pretty darn nice when you get to share a birthday with your dad. Especially when he has always been (and will always be) my hero. We haven't missed too many birthdays of celebrating together, but we'll make it up and you can know that I'm off trying to be a good father and grandpa like I was always taught to be.
It seems pretty funny now - looking back on all the years of you being "29". I really used to worry that I would pass you someday. Now we're both quite a ways past that age!
I can't imagine what it would be like to not have my dad around. You've always been there for me to show me how things should be. I think back to going to motorcycle races (you probably would have preferred other activities,) to showing me how to put sprinkler systems in, to watching me get thrown out of baseball games. My dad was always behind me all the way. (I even remember someone yelling that I "could eat at the table" when I had a big hit in a baseball game in Nebraska!)
Sharon and I will never forget the great advice that you offered as we were preparing for marriage. Gee, I hope I have some of that wisdom someday. Amazingly you have a poor memory in some areas though. Whenever I ask you how you handled a situation that Chuck or Becky or I probably did - so that I'd know how to help kids - you always seem to say that we weren't any trouble and you never had to deal with problems. That must be where I got the ability to "bend" the truth too!
Although we all now have children and grandchildren of our own, I still treasure you're advice. I still carry the email that you sent to all of us reminding us that we all need to follow our Priesthood leaders and do what the Lord commands. Now that I think of it, I guess that you've been telling me that for a lot of years.
Well big guy, this is a great milestone that you've earned. Even "The Duke" never made 80. I sure hope that you find joy in your posterity. You have a slug of people that love you and look to you for direction and comfort. I'm pretty sure that's why we'll enjoy the Celestial Kingdom. We will have such a great reason to all be together and sit around and remember the wonderful times.
Enjoy the day! We'll flip to see who has to pay for dinner when Sharon and I get home.
Love ya,
Bruce
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