Happy Birthday Dad

Dear Dad,

Happy Birthday. Today you would have been 63. But you're not, you'll always be 58.
I tried to find some photos of you and I on my computer to put in this post, to pretty it up and make it more appealing, but I couldn't find many nice ones so there's none at all. The only photo of us that I love is from 1985, and that's pinned up in the kitchen, i.e. from well before the digital age.

If I still lived in Goulburn and you were still alive, Mr S and I would have come to the house in Mount Street where you'd have either cooked a ham on the barbeque or we'd ordered takeaway of some description. There's be Crownies from the Shed Fridge, which you would open with your special bottle opener and Mr S would pretend that he liked Crownies because we know how special you thought they were.

Your present... let's see. A box set of some description, probably a limited edition Star Trek one, perhaps with a fancy metal case, or a new set of cordless headphones for the TV. Bluetooth ones I bet.

The weather would be stinkingly hot or icy cold, but the house would be the perfect temperature from the air conditioner you had installed after I, your youngest child, moved out of home. Thanks.


You'd be cuddling Millie in your lap and telling us that you know you're her favourite and I would be able to see the special bond in both of your eyes.

Mr S and I would share tales of our house that we've bought and you would bestow your advice, wanted or not, on what sort of paint to use and how to apply it.

I'd slip the bakery box of vanilla slices on the bench for you, the paper slightly greasy from the slice touching the paper and you'd rub your hands together and say 'Yummm! I'll take those for morning tea tomorrow. Everyone will want one.'

We'd all be there, my sister with her husband and her 5 months pregnant bump, my brother and his new fiancee, my mother too. We'd be sitting at the big rectangular table in the dining room, and it would be noisy and hot and absolutely lovely.

I wish you were here to celebrate your birthday with us. I am in Tasmania, my sister, her husband, my brother and his fiancee are in Queensland and my mother in Goulburn.

Every day I think about you, but every day I see you in the mirror and I see you in Millie's eyes.

Happy Birthday Peach-Pie. I love you.