DAD

HEY DAD!

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START.  FOR 30 YEARS NOW, YOU HAVE DONE MORE FOR ME THAN ANY SON EVER COULD HAVE ASKED FOR.    FROM DAY ONE YOU WERE MY BIGGEST FAN.  ALWAYS IN MY CORNER.  THERE WERE TOO MANY TIMES THAT I MADE IT HELL ON YOU.  YOU'D BREAK YOUR BACK FOR ME, AND I'D BREAK YOUR HEART BEING A PUNK.  I GAVE YOU EVERY REASON AND THEN SOME TO GIVE UP ON ME, BUT YOU NEVER DID.  I WILL FOREVER BE SORRY FOR WHAT I HAVE PUT YOU THROUGH OVER THE YEARS, BUT KNOW HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT YOU STUCK BY ME.   THERE WERE ALSO MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS THAT YOU SAW MORE IN ME THAN I COULD SEE IN MYSELF AND YOU GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO KEEP FIGHTING THE FIGHT, REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION OR THE ODDS AT HAND.  I HAVE SIZE 9 FEET AND YOU ARE 13S AND I THINK THAT IS ONLY FITTING.  I WILL CHALLENGE MYSELF TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE TRYING TO FILL YOUR SHOES AND BECOME HALF THE MAN,DAD, AND FRIEND ETC THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TO ME, OUR FAMILY, AND ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF KNOWING YOU.  I MAY NEVER FILL THOSE 13S OF YOURS, BUT I AM GOING TO DO MY DAMN BEST TO TRY.  YOU ARE EVERYTHING THAT I ASPIRE TO BE.  I DON'T KNOW WHERE IN THIS WORLD I'D BE WITHOUT YOU.  CERTAINLY NOT UP HERE IN ALASKA LIVING OUT ONE OF MY DREAMS.  THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR EVERYTHING.  YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND. YOU ARE MY HERO, AND I'M SO SORRY I WON'T BE THERE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY.  I WILL SEE YOU SOON AND CAN'T WAIT TO HIT THE LINKS.  THAT IS, IF YOU AND JIMMY HAVE NOT LOST ALL MY CLUBS BY THE TIME I GET HOME.

I LOVE YOU AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY

PROUDLY YOUR SON 

MARK JUDE

PS. I WISH YOU WERE UP HERE TAKING ON MOUNTAINS AND GRIZZLIES WITH ME.  NEXT TIME!

PPS.  Heading out to sea off the Kenai Peninsula in Seward, Alaska!

MY OLD MAN AND ME PLAYING CLEMSON BACK IN THE DAY!  IT'S A PICTURE OF A PICTURE I KEEP WITH ME ON MY TRAVELS.

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days