So, thats my dad at the top. Pietro (or Peter in English) born December 20, 1923. As you might have guessed, yes, we’re Italian (he even spoke it, which I wish he could have taught me) This is one of my favorite pictures of him (I think because hes so down to earth here) He died when I was 12 yrs old.

I could say a lot of things about my dad – some of them not so nice. I didnt get along with him growing up…. and I didnt get to see him much, either. But thinking back, that was prolly half my doing – I used to get so bored at his house as a kid, that I never wanted to go. He was always trying to get me into sports…. he bought me my very first bike and taught me how to ride it.  I took tennis lessons growing up coz of him lol which I HATED. I dont have to tell you, I wasnt very sporty back then. I was fat, and awkward. And being such, I reflect back and think… he prolly had as hard of a time relating to me, as I did to him.

But its the funniest thing…. as an adult, I have become him. I am my dad through and through. Just looking at me, you can see I look like him the most. Sadly, even down to the early gray hair LOL And who I turned out to be is a lot of him as well (well, and a lot my mom too, but I digress) He’s where I get my tendency to tan and beach bum… where I get my passion for bike riding and my sporty side…. and partly why I am such a vagabond, run the roads type chicka. Even my vain, narcissistic side comes from him LOL (hey, just being honest here) as well as my “expensive taste” side. And growing up, I didnt have a ton of exposure to him, so those weren’t learned traits. I think thats just who we become through evolution. I can remember staying at his condo on the beach… I would fall asleep listening to jazz and the waves, coz I was afraid of the dark. I actually find myself longing for those days again and both eternally remind me of him. And everytime I bike ride, I feel closer to him than I ever did…. like he’s there riding with me. Sometimes, I swear he is.

I think that if he were alive today, him and I would have a far better relationship than we did when I was a kid. Coz I think I just relate to him better as an adult, and would actually enjoy the things we did that I thought were so boring and hated way back when (ok so, maybe not tennis per se LOL but you get the point) And as for his tendencies…. well, I may not agree with them all, but… as an adult, I think I could look past them. Maybe even understand why, to some degree, better than I did as a kid.

So, this is for you, dad… Happy Father’s day. We might not have been the perfect father-daughter, but I love you all the same.