I shot the video below eleven years ago today. We were in Panama while the East Coast was in the middle of a blizzard. We were lucky to get a flight out during what they were calling “Snowmageddon.” We spent that week basking in the sunshine and sweating in the tropical humidity. My sister and her family were there, as was my brother. This particular day we had just returned from a few days at the beach where we had celebrated my dad’s birthday before returning to the city in the evening. My dad found his way over to his piano, as he often did, and kept switching from one song to the next, changing his mind about what to play, or maybe forgetting what came next.

I treasure these memories. That day feels like it was just yesterday. I can’t believe it’s been eleven years. It’s not the last time I was home, but it’s the last time all of us were there together. He had such a great time driving all of us around, showing us how the country had developed, taking us to see the places we had known, and showing us what was new.

It’s been three and half months since he left us. I miss him every day. I know he would be relieved that I’m doing well, proud to hear how the kids are doing. He’d be happy to hear I don’t have any issues with the car. (He was always asking about the car, regardless of what I was driving at the time.)

He would have been 83 years old today.

I’ll drink a toast in your honor tonight, Dad. Happy Birthday. ♥️