You were a toddler and and we tried to race across the church parking lot.  You fell on your face and cracked a tooth.  After the dentist determined it had to be pulled, and it was, and you were hurt and scared, I hugged you and hugged you and didn't let go.  I was your comforter, 

and this was the best day of my life.

It was your tenth birthday, and we went to see Geoff Moore in concert, and he told a funny story about flannel graphs in church, and he sang  about friends, and beautiful sounds, and we laughed and relived the event all the way home, and I was your daddy-date,

and this was the best day of my life.

We were camping in New Hampshire, and we were sure we discovered a spot never before seen by man.  We used the rocks and branches we found there to recreate the Easter scene, complete with barren cross, empty tomb, and a message writte with pebbles to anyone who would come after us.  I was your co-creator,

and this was the best day of my life.

You were in eighth grade and fascinated by the 1960s, so we went to see the movie "Bobby". We watched as Aston Kutcher and Lindsey Lohan and Harry Bellefonte and Joshua Jackson recreated the day Bobby Kennedy was killed.  As we drove home, we talked about Rosey Greer, Sirhan Sirhan, LSD and the soundtrack that included Donovan and CCR.  I was your teacher,

and this was the best day of my life.

I was unusually early picking you up from the dance studio, and you had fallen and were in agony; worse because you wondered if you'd dance again. I joked about a torn poster on the wall and held your hand, and brought you to the emergency room.  I felt powerless and tried to convey confidence and faith to you. I was your strength in weakness,

and this was the best day of my life.

You rode into school with me three times a week for preschool.  We watched the progress of a house that was being built, and one day it suddenly looked like a house with real walls instead of a skeleton of four by sixes, and it was like seeing a miracle.  I was your sharer in the magic,

and this was the best day of my life.

You would be leaving for Kenya as a 17 year old senior in high school, but I couldn't see you off at the airport.  We said good-bye in the dining room with a hug and silent eye contact that spoke everything in our hearts. I was your dad, I was letting go,

and this was the best day of my life.