This year, we have been sharing our Labor of Love stories with you. Some have been about products and some have been about personal experiences, but they’ve all reflected on our appreciation for the handmade, the hard-won, and the heartfelt.  For Father’s Day, we’re honoring the people who often work the hardest for the least amount of praise — dads.

My father was one of those hardworking Dads that you got to see if you were the first one up in the morning, but he was always home for a sit-down dinner every night.  A self-made man from humble beginnings, he has been able to realize his wildest dreams for success – a 55-year marriage, four kids, health, and longevity (he’s 84 years old this year – same as my dog Boo in dog years, as he reminded me this weekend!).  I fully expect him to live to be 100.  He was in the grocery business for over 30 years and got to retire pretty close to 50.  His dream was always to own land, be a rancher, and have farm animals, and that’s exactly what he’s done.  One more wish: He always wanted to own an antique automobile, made the same year as my mom was born (1934). As we say in the family, he saved his paper route money until, finally, my mom relented and let him buy the Ford Coupe of his dreams.

the car of his youth!

I always felt lucky growing up – I had the kind of dad everyone dreams of – kind, understanding, appreciative, generous with everything, gracious, respected, and always there for us.  Every year on my birthday my dad tells me the day I was born was the happiest day of his life.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!