After one of my dad’s many 8-hour round trips to watch me race a few laps around a track, a friend joked that he would swim across the ocean for his kids. I had to chuckle– not because it was such a preposterous statement– but because I could honestly picture him in his deer-skin moccasins, green hunting vest, and trusty headlamp, researching late into the night about the best wetsuits and shark-avoidance tactics, brooding over the best route through the water, and training in the pool until it was time to go.

That’s the kind of dad I’ve got, and I couldn’t be more thankful for him or pumped for a parental reunion in two short weeks.

Happy Father’s Day to you, Pops, and to all you other dads. I love you very, very much and am endlessly grateful for everything that you do.