MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas has always meant family to me. Getting to spend time with the ones you love...you can't go wrong there. Some of my favorite memories about Christmas are just being with my mom and dad and brothers. Time has a way of changing things....

When I was a kid, Christmas meant presents to me. Oh, I couldn't wait to rush down the stairs to see what Santa had left.

Of course, I didn't know what Christmas was all about in my early days. I just knew that I liked to be held. My dad and my older brother, Scott, did a good job of doing just that. For some reason, I think I remember feeling safe.

  

I can still remember galloping down the stairs to see what Santa had brought. Of course, galloping down the stairs was a bit tricky when you had a bar stuck between your feet. Ahh, the joys of wearing a leg cast. My parents did this because I was an unruly child. The leg cast prevented me from running away. I KID! I KID! I was born with bad hips and, thus, the reason for the cast. By the way, that's me on the left checking out what my older brother, Scott, got.

I loved spending time with my dad. As you can see, I graduated from a leg cast to leg braces. I blame this on why I never made it professionally as a baseball player or football player. (Well, that and the lack of skills.) I still remember that tearing sound of the velcro, the uncomfortable shoes and not being able to move quite as quickly as I would have liked. But I also remember cuddling with my dad. My gosh, I love that man. (And there again is Scott, trying to cheese in on cuddle time. I KID! I KID!)

As I got a bit older, I still loved presents. But I think I loved my dog more. Here I am on the left holding our dog, Scamp. There is a dog book to the left, a sweet television behind me, and my little brother, Gregg, wearing a sweet sweater, to my right.

For the record, my dad was a stud. He's just straight chillin' on the left and, well, straight chillin' on the right. Sure was a handsome guy, right?

He was a good family man. I know he loved us. That's for sure. And we sure loved him.

He was one of the funniest guys I ever knew. He was quick with a joke or a laugh. He didn't take things too seriously. I see a lot of my dad in me, and that makes me proud and happy.

My dad wasn't just a funny guy. He was an awesome teacher as well. He was a Spanish teacher for several years at Shaker Heights High School near Cleveland, Ohio. The students loved him!

I've got a lot of great memories of my dad. At Christmas if I got him Aramis cologne or a pen, he would be a mighty happy man.

I remember him being in charge of throwing away the wrapping paper on Christmas Day. We would tear open our gifts, throw the wrapping paper his way and he would shove it down in a big plastic trash bag. Sometimes he would hold our dog, Scamp, in his lap while doing so. Scamp wouldn't let anybody else do that but my dad.

I remember him always sitting in his rocking chair. He loved that rocking chair. And he loved us. He loved his kids. He adored my mom.

It's hard to believe, but on Dec. 28, my dad will have been gone for 25 years. Ever since he got sick and succumbed to cancer in 1987, Christmas has never been the same to me. There are mixed feelings of sadness and joy.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him. But I think about him even more at this time of the year. I used to wonder what life would be like if he were still with us. I wondered if he would have been proud of me.

I finally realized that he is still with me. He's very much with me. He's still on my mind and, more importantly, he's still in my heart. Where he will always be.

I thank God for the time that I did get to spend with my dad. My dad continues to be an inspiration.

Like I said, Christmas has always meant family to me. Getting to spend time with the ones you love...you can't go wrong there. Some of my favorite memories about Christmas are just being with my mom and dad and brothers. Time has a way of changing things....

We may not always be together physically, but we'll always be together spiritually. My family will always be in my heart.

Merry Christmas, Pops!!

I love you!!