Thank You, Dad

"Honor your father...     (Exodus 20:12 NIV)

Dad,

Over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about the time we've spent together.  I wanted to thank you for a few things I've been thinking about...


Thank you for never letting me feel like a "mistake".
Thank you for sending me to good schools.
Thank you for working two jobs to pay for those schools...and my appetite.
Thank you for working after you retired so I could go to High School and College.
Thank you for encouraging me to go to College.
Thank you for giving me your time.
Thank you for giving me your money.
Thank you for giving me your love.
Thank you for spending your vacation time with me.
Thank you for taking me all over the country.
Thank you for taking me to the lake, where the phone could not interrupt our vacation.
Thank you for teaching me to ski.
Thank you for teaching me to fish.
Thank you for teaching me to navigate a boat.
Thank you for telling me all about your life while floating on a cushion and smoking a cigar.
Thank you for attending my baseball games.
Thank you for attending my soccer games.
Thank you for attending my shows.
Thank you for teaching me to sing, act, and perform.
Thank you for letting mom teach me to dance.
Thank you for teaching me how to treat a woman with respect.
Thank you for showing me what a loving marriage looks like.
Thank you for helping me pick out Traci's engagement ring.
Thank you for teaching my children, just as you taught me.
Thank you for catching people who hurt people and putting them where they would stop.
Thank you for going "over there" to protect our freedom.
Thank you for protecting us back here.
Thank you for reassuring me that "we can get through this together."
Thank you for helping me believe that I'm good.
Thank you for taking me to mass every week - no exceptions.
Thank you for making the "boat leave in 5 minutes."
Thank you for living your faith, not just giving it lip service.
Thank you for building me up when others tore me down.
Thank you for being strong.
Thank you for being caring.
Thank you for speaking the truth.
Thank you for always letting people know where you stand.
Thank you for celebrating people all the time.
Thank you for teaching me that right is right and wrong is wrong.
Thank you for singing in a Barbershop Quartet and Chorus.
Thank you for letting me join the chorus at the ripe old age of 13.
Thank you for singing with me.
Thank you for Tuesday evenings at Frisch's.
Thank you for wanting to buy me a house with your "millions."
Thank you for teaching me to perform.
Thank you for teaching me that life is not a performance.
Thank you for modeling priorities for me.
Thank you for making me a priority.
Thank you for telling me you're proud of me.
Thank you for telling me you love me.
Thank you for supporting me when I left to plant a church.
Thank you for watching my "lessons" every week.
Thank you for giving mom thoughts to email me.
Thank you for giving me directions.
Thank you for giving me direction.
Thank you for giving me the time to thank you while you were here.
Thank you for giving me more reasons to thank you than I could ever list anywhere.


I'm proud to be your son.
I'm proud of you.
I love you.
Your son,
Peter Leo Bernard Kersker