Just to warn you – this post might get mushy. I can’t pretend to be neutral or indifferent about his man.

You see, he is my dad – and he also happens to be my hero.

I adore him right down to his socks.

And if you are lucky enough to know him you will know exactly why I am not going to hold back. If this post were a food, you’d think it was oat meal. So let the mushy times roll, says I.

When my dad was in high school he had a nick-name. They called him “Cuteness” because quite frankly, he was DARLING. I would have loved to have known him in those days. I think he would have been a blast to hang out with.

It takes a real man to carry off a nick-name like that and still have the respect of all his peers and teachers. Even though he wore the wrong  jeans, an absolute SIN in high school, my mom couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He had rosy cheeks. You heard me, ROSY cheeks! And I imagine that his goodness beamed out of his bright shiny face punctuated by those rosy cheeks.

That young boy who played the accordion, was the editor of the high school year book, the star of the play, beloved by all (especially an equally DARLING girl named Khali Johnson) grew up to marry said darling girl, Khali Johnson, and in time became my dad. Something that I thank Heavenly Father for on a regular basis.

Let me tell you a little about this wonder, my father, L. Kevin Kelly.

His first name should be Sunshine because the man is always positive. He always sees the best in every situation and always sees the best in people. He is positive at his very core. This makes him quite a pleasant fellow to be around.

He is a worker. The man is constantly in motion. He works like a maniac. He is driven and yet the miracle of it all is that he is calm. We used to joke that the only way you could tell he was mad was because his eyelids would start to flutter. No yelling or carrying on – just a slight fluttering of the eyelids. Since he’s become a professor at the BY he has gotten a little, just a little mind you, cranky. I blame the students.  He loves them but they can drive him a little nuts.

He is devoted to the Lord. And he knows how to pray. Sometimes his evening prayers last for hours and he isn’t even a bishop anymore! He is a tremendously humble and devoted servant of the Lord. When he prays he gets answers – I think it is because he is trustworthy. And you know how I mentioned that he is a worker – he loves to work for the Lord. And he doesn’t complain, ever, about what has do for the Him.

He is talented and smart – but here is the kicker NO EGO. My dad really doesn’t have one. He doesn’t care about Kevin Kelly getting noticed or getting praise, he just wants to do his best. If his best gets chucked on the ground and stomped all over he just shrugs his shoulders and carrys on working. No harm done to his ego, because he ain’t got one.

He is a talker. And he will tell you all about it (whatever it may be) and he wont leave out any details. Somehow he’ll cram every last detail into the story he is telling you.

He loves to help people. He loves connecting people together. Need a job in advertising? Call my dad. He will use whatever connection he has to help you find one. He is always looking for ways to further the good of other people – help them to get ahead in their careers etc. If he has any power he uses it for the benefit of helping those around him.

He is a wonderful singer. Whenever we go to visit my parents in UT  I always want to sit next to my dad at church so that we can sing together. He happens to think I have a swell voice and because of that I think I sing more beautifully when I am next to him. He brings out the best in me. He is also a wonderful composer. And has composed a few awesome dittys on that there accordion. He doesn’t just look good holding it. He can actually play that sucker! Which leads me to another cool thing about my dad – he makes the best of whatever situation he is in. He wishes he could play the piano, but doesn’t let that stop him from composing songs on his accordion. He finds a way. He just burrows and burrows until he makes his way to the top. Where the sun is shinning and the future is bright.

He wants the best for others. He really does. He doesn’t have a jelous or unkind bone in his entire body.

He is FUN! So much fun! He is the best person in the world to travel with because he hardly gets stressed and just enjoys everything. He can also read a map like nobody’s business. (This makes him highly suspicious of my GPS, but that is okay. I can let him off the hook for that.) He is also a wonderful dancer. As a teenager he was always the one I wanted to dance with at the stake dance. Luckily for me he was busy serving the Lord at those stake dances so I got quite a few dances in.

He is also a little nuts. He dances in the living room, runs in the rain, does a mean inpersonation of river dance…you get the picture.

He is the kind of person I CRAVE. I just want to be near him. I want to talk to him and get his perspective.I want to laugh with him. Hear about his projects. I trust him so much and I trust that he has my best interest at heart.

I love you, dad.

Thank you for loving mom. For loving all us kids (including the kids that married your kids and then had kids of their own a.k.a your grandkids). Thank you for providing for all of us and sending us on adventures and missions and to boarding school and for paying for our weddings, our college educations, our socks, underwear and pop-tarts.

Thank you for showing me how to be a kind and loving person by being one yourself. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your good heart. Thank you for everything!!!

I have so much happiness in my life and I feel that it is because you chose happiness by choosing to love us and serve us and lead by example. Just like Dicken’s description of the Brothers Cheerible (did I spell that right Allan?) you are surrounded by happiness of your own making.

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful dad in all the land.