First of all to Father God. Thank you for this glorious day.

When I was growing up, I never heard my dad sing, that I recall.

My mom used to sing all the time. She had been a nightclub singer, but the nocturnal lifestyle contributed to her loosing parental rights to my older sister, who was my dad's niece.

His brother (her father, a drunk) had left them, or vice versa.

So  my dad would go to the home she was at and visit her. The book/movie "Daddy Longlegs" reminded her of this.

So dad married mom, they got Joan and had me, and Bud and Tom.

But I never heard my dad sing, as I recall.

When I was driving my dad to the store one day, a couple years before he died, I turned on the car stereo, and a CD started playing. It was a recording of my dad singing. He was singing Sinatra love songs. I was surprised.

He had made the recording for my stepmom. She liked his voice. I did too. Who knew?

I was singing in church last Sunday, and I heard my dad's voice. Coming out of me.

Could be worse.