Eighty!!
Eighty years.
That feels both impossible and exactly right.
If I’ve learned anything from you, it’s that a life well lived doesn’t announce itself loudly. It shows up consistently in how you treat people, how you spend your time, and how you navigate each day with steadiness, patience and care. You’ve been doing that for eight decades now, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had a front-row seat for more than half of them!
You’ve built a career spanning more than forty years in industrial real estate, one rooted in integrity, relationships, and trust. The respect you’ve earned is undeniable, not because you seek recognition, but because you’ve always done things the right way. I see it every day. Brokers regularly stop by our office to ask your advice on how to structure a deal, word a tricky addendum, or handle a difficult client. (I joke with them that we could sell your spiral notebook, full of work notes, to the highest bidder!) You listen carefully, offer thoughtful guidance, and share your knowledge freely and without judgment. That generosity - with both your time and your wisdom - is just who you are.
One of the greatest gifts of my adult life has been working alongside you. Sharing an office. Sharing conversations. Sharing the rhythm of our workdays. I know how rare this is! Very few *almost* 50-year-old daughters get to spend their days learning from their father and watching him do what he does best. I don’t take a single day of it for granted. You’ve taught me far more than contracts and negotiations.You’ve taught me how to carry myself with fairness and humility. One of my favorite parts is when you flip the page on your daily calendar of "life-advice" quotes and read it out loud to me. Sometimes it’s practical. Sometimes philosophical. Sometimes comedic. It’s a simple daily ritual that says so much about how you move through life with reflection, intention, and a steady openness to learning (and laughing!) along the way.
Some of the quieter gifts you’ve given me are the ones that have woven themselves most naturally into my own life. Your love of reading is one of them. I remember when you first read The Chronicles of Narnia aloud to me at bedtime, and how those spoken words opened up entire worlds - planting a lifelong love of books, imagination, and curiosity. I still enjoy it when we read the same books and get to talk about them! Reading has remained a constant source of joy and grounding for me, and it’s something I know is rooted with you.
Speaking of planting and roots - I can't forget the garden! You are, without question, the greenest thumb. I like to call you an "orchid whisperer." Your epiphyllums, cymbidiums and plumerias are legendary, and you can transplant anything - taking it from broken weed to vibrant flower within a season. Watching you "play in the dirt" (as you call it) over the years, has taught me to appreciate the slow reward of consistent work over time and that beauty can be found even in the spider plants of life! Every time I find myself in my own garden, hands in the dirt, I feel that connection to you and I love it.
Finally, you have always been expressive with your love and unwavering in your support. Because of that, I grew up with a strong sense of self and a confidence rooted in knowing I was deeply loved, exactly as I am. That foundation has carried me through every season of my life, and it’s something I’ve worked intentionally to give my own children, knowing firsthand how powerful it is. You also showed me, every day, what a loving partnership looks like. Your devotion to Mom and the respect, affection, loyalty, and friendship you two share, quietly taught me what I deserved and what I wanted in a spouse. Because of your example, I have been able to build a marriage grounded in the same love, commitment, and mutual respect. That is a legacy I hold with enormous gratitude!
Happy Birthday, Dad!!
At eighty, you are still teaching. Still modeling. Still offering wisdom - sometimes through decades of experience, sometimes through a single quote read aloud at the start of the day. But always with compassion and unconditional love. I am endlessly thankful for the life you’ve lived, the family you’ve built, and the example you continue to be.
I am so glad I came to live with you!!
All my love,
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