He's really doing it!!

I think the only thing that makes this man, my dad, smile bigger than holding his grandson is the thought of retirement. The day he has been working for his entire life.

The day when he doesn't have to set his alarm for 4 am and doesn't have to put on an uncomfortable suit and drive downtown for meetings and conference calls. The day he can use a blackberry to garnish ice cream and not answer emails. The day he doesn't have to make a million decisions that will impact a billion dollar deal. The day he only needs to decide, " should I go play golf before lunch or after lunch?" The day he can fly 14 hours on a stuffy plane and land in paradise to relax and not in the middle of the hot dessert to inspect chemical plants.

Today is the day.

Today, my dad is retiring .

I can't decide if I am more happy or proud of him.

Either way, we are all smiling for him today.

My dad. He is a genius. I'm not playing the "my Daddy is smarter than your Daddy game." Honestly, he is a genius. By profession, he is a chemical engineer turned brilliant business man. In addition to several other plants, he was the project director on the construction of the ammonia plant above that is located in Trinidad. To be truthful, I really don't "know" what he does. Something about ammonia distillation... that's where he loses me every time. All I know is this, he has worked hard to be where he is today. He has always been focused and driven with an intensely strong work ethic. He taught Phil and I how to work hard and what it means to earn your grades and/or successes.

I love this picture of my dad and Josh when he was only days old. It reminds me that although my dad has grown to be a powerful and successful man in the business world, he is and will always be a tender and loving father.

When Phil and I were only small children, he moved our little family to America, not only for his career, but also for his family. He knew we would have a better life here than in Ireland, at that time. Now that I am in his shoes with a small child, I can't imagine how intimidating it would be to move your family and start a new job in a new country with no friends or extended family by your side. It sounds cliche, but my mom and dad really did make the American dream come true for our family. How could I ever be prouder? And despite all my dad's success, he is truly the most generous and thoughtful man I know. He will NEVER say no if you need something and will be the first to give to someone in need. He is a remarkable man.

All this to say, I wish my dad a very happy retirement. I wish him lots of extra sleep to make up for all the ridiculously early mornings working. I wish him years of travel that will be on his terms and where he wants to go. I wish him countless books to read that have NOTHING to do with retirement planning/ career building/engineering madness. I wish him a nice glass of red wine every evening, not to de-stress from the work day, but just because he can. I wish him hours of mindless afternoons. But, most of all...

I wish him the perfect round of golf.

Or, at the very least, a lot of fun trying.

Dad, you amaze me.

Congratulations.