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Crystal Thies's avatar

You're not meant to be your father. If that were the case, we'd all be clones.

But I see your father in you.

In your love of humor. Your laugh. The twinkle in your eye.

I just realized I never got to know him intellectually. But I knew his energy. I chose his energy. I've been told that as a young girl on our huge family camping trips, I always demanded to sit next to him at restaurants - and then I proceeded to also vomit on him.

I don't know the reasons for why you've made some of the choices you've made in your life, but I can say that I've always seen you as someone who strove to make choices out of living in integrity with yourself. At least that's been my perception.

You're not your father, but that doesn't make you any less of a father.

We're all just walking each other home. Do the best that you can in the moment - even if others judge it as not being enough. Give grace - even if others aren't.

Focus on love and laughter.

When I think of your parents and the family they built, love and laughter are the first things that come to mind.

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Irv Oslin's avatar

Thank you. Words of wisdom. Sometimes I can't help but feel I've come up short. Yet the love is there, the value of loving and being in my own way. PS: I suspect vomiting is a show of love. Ramona once told me, while seated next to me in my pickup truck, that she had to throw up. I told her to roll down the window. Which she did. Then proceeded to throw up on me anyway.

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Roger Karkoff's avatar

Kids.

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Michael James Golch's avatar

we were never ment to be like our Father's but to become our ownselves guided by the teachings of our father's and a mix between Mom and Dad.

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Michael James Golch's avatar

Oz you were never meant to be your Dad but a Combination of your Dad's and Mom's lessons and I think you turned out to be a good dad in your own right.

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Irv Oslin's avatar

Thank you, Michael. I needed that.

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Roger Karkoff's avatar

Good job.

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Irv Oslin's avatar

Thank you, Roger.

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