A Truly Big Happy Father's Day!

A giant Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, Big Daddies, Fathers and all the guys out there. This is a tremendously important day in this country and especially here in Georgia.

I have been thinking about my Daddy today. He was a guy who ran a store. That was his thing. For a while he was in the jewelry business, then he got into picture framing and then finally he was in antique furniture and picture framing together. He was an incredibly hard worker just like all the men in our family. He inspired me over and over because of his very strong work ethic. He taught me the importance of what we southern people call blood. There were echoes of the wisdom of Faulkner and Caldwell in his comprehensive mind set. Faulkner and Caldwell had soul. I remember as a kid watching the customers and I had a tear in my eye because I could see the real respect they had for my father. They knew he would treat them right.

There is something extremely beautiful about the culture of the men of the south. My Daddy was a believer in having a lot of heart and a lot of passion in everything that you do. He maintained this fascinating sense of a guy with a good heart right up until the end when he finally passed in a nursing home in 2007. I know how to love life and enjoy my blessings because of all the meaningful and loving experiences my Daddy gave me. He made me feel good about myself and he made me feel great about the fact that I am a man from Georgia. Take care all you Dads, Sons and Daughters out there!