forever young

my dad is 60 years old today.  the year of the 60 year old parents, this one has become.  and my dad, who has been playing music for nearly all of his 60 years, just get's better with time.

something interesting happens when you become a parent, something that doesn't seem so obvious in the years leading up to that occurrence.  you suddenly start to see your own parents as people who were teenagers once, playing in garage bands, dancing at proms, falling in love and yes, even becoming first time parents themselves.  of course, it is something that you always knew, but the level unto which you now see it, understand it and begin to explore it, becomes deeper with time.  now, as our parents nearly all reach the age of 60, twice as old as we are, we long to have a better understanding of who they were, who they are and how much like them we will end up becoming.

i played the flute in middle school for 9.5 days.  the guitar in college for just shy of two weeks.  i did rock a pretty impressive solo performance of yellow submarine on the recorder, in the third grade spring-fling musical, but my musical talents tapped out there.  it has always disappointed me that i never took to music the way my dad always has.  though something about these photos, and this milestone, make we want to give it another, and more serious try.

for now though, i'll leave it to the professional on his big day.  happy birthday dad - here's to 60 more years of rockin' out and continuing to get better with time.

dad - we will toast to you with the same toast you gave us on our wedding day:

May God bless and keep you always 

May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others 

And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars 

And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young.