Like You

A girl told me the other day that she thought I looked completely Irish. I disagree, as would most people with eyes. But it got me to thinking. I wish I looked more like you. Wish I could turn to the mirror and see you looking back at me. So much of me is you and I take pride and solace in that fact every day. But my face is not yours and I want to look like my Daddy. I want your identity to cast its shadow over me and remind me at a glance that I am you. I'd be nothing if not for you. I wish my face paid tribute to that. I miss you Daddy. I miss your face.

Marshall Family Holiday

This past Monday was a very little known, but immensely sacred holiday - The Marshall Family Holiday. Never heard of it? Not surprising. Before now, it was only known to three people.

See, a long, long time ago (roughly 18 years) there was a Super Bowl, much like the one that took place last Sunday. Legend has it that Daddy won a pot in the bar pool and perhaps had a little bit too much to drinky drink. Not surprisingly, the children of the Marshall house woke up before their father the next morning. Too late to go to work or school, Daddy dubbed the day The Marshall Family Holiday.

The funny thing about The Marshall Family Holiday is that it was never celebrated again. Sure Siobhan and I playfully brought it up the morning after every Super Bowl hoping Daddy would let us stay home, but it never happened. Daddy neeever missed work and he never let us miss school, unless there was a really valid reason. That's just they way he was. Except for that one day - The Marshall Family Holiday.

Happy New Year Daddy

So the holidays have passed. It was tough, no doubt about it. No one put on the Christmas with Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin vinyl. No one hung the stupid yarn bell decoration we called the mistletoe. Remember the Mets 1986 Championship ornament I broke when I was like 4? Always wished I hadn't broken it, but never more so than now. This Christmas was just weird. I guess you could say the only Santa Clause I ever knew didn't come to town this year. And that's enough to make Christmas skip a year.

Barack Obama is the president now. Remember when you said Sarah Palin would be a good VP? lol. Even you were wrong sometimes. But to be fair, she did seem like a damn good choice at the time. I wonder who you would've voted for. But I do know that you'd be proud of him and proud of our country. Proud that we live in a country that went from giving you and Mommie funny looks to electing a biracial president. Pretty cool, huh?

I miss you Daddy. More and more every single day. I want to know what you'd say to me, how you'd feel about things. I want to see your smile and take you out to the dinner I owe you. I want to go to a Mets game with you again (did you have anything to do with the K-Rod and Putz signings?) and have a beer. I want to talk politics, and history, and movies and learn so much from you. I fucking miss you Daddy.