DAD

I see that little girl from long ago
She looks up at her mom
Eyes bright
“Where’s Dad?”

He would be home late that night
Working hard at school
Bettering himself

He was my idol
Taught us right from wrong

Don’t get me wrong
We had our battles
It had to be crest toothpaste after all
Chores before play
“Who says that’s the right way”? I’d say

But some of my greatest memories
Are camping at Camp Calumet
I still return in my mind when I need peace

I am forever grateful for the life he gave us

Did you know
He created a skating rink for us in our backyard
Took us to the top of mountains
Cranked the horn at football games
Brought out the mask on Halloween
Made a haunted house in our basement
Made us laugh
And so much more?

But I loved to make him laugh
He was my greatest fan
Encouraging, supporting and rooting for me
I felt his pride

I will miss our talks about the Red Sox
Visits
Playing “Oh Heck”

We didn’t always see eye to eye but I understood him

He was my dearly loved dad

–kim hiles April 2024