You'll never guess which one I am. (Hint: It was 1989, my bathing suit is awesome, and I had a bowl cut.)

Dad,

I know we’ve had some rocky times since high school, but despite that, you have always cheered me on, no matter what I was doing.

You’re the guy who taught me how to play basketball and coached my team for years before I went on to play junior and high school basketball. You bought me my first guitar, and, unbeknownst to me, sat outside my bedroom and listened to me play and sing for hours. You taught me the technical terms of multiple plants before I could read, and I would impress other adults talking about the landscaping. And you sat through hours of violin concerts and filmed them to document LL’s and my progress.

You supported (and financed) my painting habit through high school and shifted over to photography when I was in college. You even picked up your camera again, and I love the geeky conversations we share about apertures, different lenses and photography, in general.

I always know you are looking at my work, even if you don’t say so. You always ask about my day whenever we talk and listen through all the useless information I tell you. And you even told me my senior pictures looked good. (For the record, we both know that was a lie.)

Know that I’m thinking of you today and the memories we have shared together over the years. I wish I could have been in Memphis today to hang out.

Much love,
E.P. (and your grandpup)