missing you daddy 198/366

This is me and my dad, in the kitchen of my grandma's teeny tiny upstairs apartment. A safe place from my childhood filled with only good memories. I'd forgotten I had this picture, and how small that apartment really was until I found this while I was looking for a different photo of us. Why am I digging around in ancient history? Because his 83rd birthday is Saturday. I woke up this morning unsettled, and after a few minutes realized part of it is because I am missing this man, big time. He wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he was my daddy, and for most of my life I knew I was his princess. God redeemed the portion of time I doubted. He has been gone almost eighteen years and yet there are still times I hear a motorcycle stop near my house and listen for his knock at the door. He loved to surprise us by riding 5 hours from Akron to spend a few hours visiting then turn around and go back home. It's one of the ways he said "I love you". 

If I could send him a quick message it would be something like this: 
"I love you daddy. I am thankful you became a Jesus follower two years before it was time for you to leave this earth. I'll see you when I get home. Love, Butch."