Thank you very "mooch"

Many years ago I got my dad a Father's Day card that had Ziggy on it. Ziggy said something like "Dad, I have been mooching off of you all these years and just want to say..." and you open the card and it says "Thank you very mooch."

A few years after that I got another card. In fact, it was the exact same card. I thought it was funny the second time and really did not recall the first card. After opening the card, Dad went to his room and came back with BOTH cards from me, exactly the same.

So the following year I made a joke out of it. I got copies of the exact same card again and sent them to my sisters and brother and every one of us gave the same card to Dad. I think that went over pretty well.

Everyone knows how good natured and funny my dad is. Everyone knows his laugh and they want to know what was said that made him laugh like that. When he's not around someone may say "You know what Marcel told me?" and all heads will turn and the room gets quiet, like all of those old "E.F. Hutton" commercials.

The thing I appreciate most about my dad is receiving his desire for learning. He reads text books when others read novels. And I notice that no matter where he is he can hold a decent conversation with pretty much anyone in the room. And the really neat thing is that it is on the level of the other people. He can converse with a 10th grader having trouble in math and not make it sound like he is talking down to him. That is an incredible talent and one that I try to emulate. I don't know how well I do, but I have years to keep at it.

So, Dad, I love you and thank you very mooch!!!