Father's Day

Bittersweet...
I've been blessed with four Dads in my 54 years, and three Demi-Dads as well. Two dads were my mom's partners - Richard, my father, and Cliff, my step-father; the other two, Fred, and Al Sr., the fathers of the two leading ladies in my life. My Demi-Dads? Uncle Don, Uncle Howard, and Uncle Jerry, men who've greatly influenced me during and since childhood.
Each has played a part in helping me shape some portion of myself directly, or a portion of my life, or simply how I see things in life.
Rather than try and describe all of that, I'll just say: Thanks to you all. You that remain in my life, I don't see or speak to you as often as I'd like - something this wanderer is attempting to improve upon - but I'll hear your voices today. I'm grateful to the Old Ones that I still can.
Oh, how I miss the rest... and I'm grateful for that, too. Today I can drink the cup to its dregs, with no complaint, yet still. Still. A hug, a spoken word, some good-natured teasing about my hair(Uncle Don - always!), or how I spent my birthday money getting something inked on - Dad would always say, upon seeing a new tattoo, "Man, I'm gonna stop giving you money for your birthday! Always gettin' tattooed!" Which lasted right up until I got him a tattoo for his birthday... Gods, the phone call I got from Mom when, a month or two later, she caught sight of it. (How the heck did he hide it so long??) Even the sometimes testy political discussions with Cliff.
Stuff like that. Things that make me smile, even as tears come to my eyes.
Bittersweet.