Dad.  Thank you for allowing me to be who I wanted to be.  I was not interested in playing sports, using power tools, shooting animals (or even hold a gun), driving fast cars, or doing other large manly things in a manly way.  I loved LEGOS, classical music, books, opera, museums, spending time alone, playing with numbers, playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing and designing video games, and NOT going to medical school.  There was no pressure to conform and to be a “normal” kid in a small town.  There was no pressure to continue in the family business (6 generations?) of being a medical doctor.  I was encouraged to follow my interests and to pursue my passions.  This may not sound like a big deal, but it is actually huge.  Really huge.  A small public thank you for allowing me to be the eccentric kid in a town that was all about conformity.

Luckily for myself, I was a really good athlete.  During recess I could put down my book, get up, and absolutely DEMOLISH all challengers in any playground game ever invented.  In some way, this made my Dad’s eye twinkle just a little bit.