Today is my dad's 60th birthday. So, I decided to write an open letter to him. Mainly, I just want to share with the world how incredibly awesome he is. And to be fair, I think my mom also deserves some recognition here for handling all that awesome every day. I know. I'm being very demanding today. Oh, and by awesome, I may or may not mean crazy.

Dear Dad,

As a young Colleen with curly bangs and giant, doofy glasses, I required a lot of guidance. Somehow you summoned enough patience to tolerate my over-abundance of awkward and my smart-aleck remarks (wonder where I get that from?). Thanks for that.

The same person I couldn't stand being in the same room with in high school has become one of my favorite people. I guess that's what growing up and gaining perspective does to you. I love when we talk about "worldly things," as you call them, or in my case, the latest provocative story captured by the HBO series Vice. Your joy of music significantly influenced my love for Eric Clapton and rock and roll. I never shared this with you, but I wax nostalgic about it here. Quick with a joke and even quicker to crack open a beer on any given morning of vacation, you swell with an easygoing happiness I can only hope to emulate. Even when faced with adversity, you overcame your obstacles and are now doing what you love most. I'm so proud of you for this. Whenever I get too far into my head and overthink things, you are there to remind me my understanding and logic are best leveraged when I allow myself to appreciate the beauty of life. The clarity of your guidance still sometimes surprises me, but I'm always very thankful for all your advice.

Whether you're adding pepper to perfectly good pancakes, examining the leaf margins of a mysterious plant, jamming to Neil Young, enjoying The Lord of the Rings marathons or calling me up for beer advice, you continue to fill my heart and mind with great memories and laughter. And on your 60th birthday, I am reminded how very blessed I am to have you in my life.

Happy birthday, Dad! Thanks for being you.

All of my love,

Colleen