I believe that my father deserves the Father of the Year award for many reasons, too many to list. First and foremost he is the reason why we have our mom here today. Over a decade ago, my mother became very ill, spending years in hospitals, and eventually became totally disabled. My father, stuck by her side every step of the way, reading, researching, and doing evrything in his power to make sure his kids had a mother. My siblings and I are so grateful to him for this. He still takes care of her full time, all while loving his four kids and three grandchildren. He has shown us love, understanding, and compassion, and allowed us to bounce back from our mistakes because they "keep us modest," is what he tells us. We have learned from him to be open minded about all and everything. He sort of marches to the beat of his own drum, and that reflects in his me and my siblings. He has also tought us to be free thinkers and be able to think outside of the box. I cannot simply put in to words what many gifts my father has given us, but so wish I could. He has given us life, a mother to love and her to love us, and the ablility to look at life without restrictions. I know there are many wonderful fathers out there who deserve recognition, but I definitely believe and every who meets him believes that he is among them.