Song For Dad, a third watch fanfic

Lately I've been noticing
I say the same things he used to say
And I even find myself acting the very same way
I tap my fingers on the table
To the rhythm in my soul
And I jingle the car keys
When I'm ready to go
When I look in the mirror
He's right there in my eyes
Starin' back at me and I realize

All my life I've looked up to my father. That's what little boys do. All my life I've wanted to be just like him. Do the same things, say the same things, even eat the same things. I remember times when my mom would tell me she hoped I turned out nothing like my dad. I didn't understand that, as far as I was concerned, my dad was the greatest man in the world. Now I'm twenty-two and everyone tells me that I am a miniature version of my dad. I even look just like him, right down to the dimples.

The older I get
The more I can see
How much he loved my mother and my brother and me
And he did the best that he could
And I only hope when I have my own family
That everyday I see
A little more of my father in me

There were a lot of problems between my mom and dad when I was younger. They did eventually get back together though and even had my little brother Bobby. My mom says that Bobby made my dad more mature. I don't know about all that, but he did change somewhat once Bobby was born. In my eyes he was always a great father. The thing is, he was always trying to be my best friend. Once he had more responsibility with Bobby, he became more of a father.

There were times I thought he was bein'
Just a little bit hard on me
But now I understand he was makin' me
Become the man he knew that I could be
In everything he ever did
He always did with love
And I'm proud today to say I'm his son
When somebody says I hope I get to meet your dad
I just smile and say you already have

When my dad first started to change I hated it. I wanted my dad to stay the same. I even resented it. I loved Bobby and my dad, but I hated the changes. I felt at times that he was being too hard on me. Things that he would once laugh at, he now came down on me for. He didn't really punish me, he actually lectured me. I didn't understand it, but I grew to respect it. It wasn't that I was a bad kid, he just wanted me to be the best kid. He loved me and he wanted me to succeed. He only lectured me because he loved me. It has made me proud. I'm proud of myself for the values he instilled in me. I'm proud of my dad for instilling them. Those values have helped me immensely. When I met my fiance Allie she asked me why I was such a good man. I told her all about my dad and she told me that she would like to meet him someday. All I could say was that she just did.

Allie is amazing. She makes me want to be the best man in the world. My mom tells me that despite all of his past problems that my dad is the best husband and father that we could ask for. I want to be the kind of husband to Allie that my dad is to my mom. I want to have kids with Allie when we're older. I hope that I'm half as good of a father as my dad is. I'm already so much like my dad. I become more and more like him everyday. I hope that I can be half the man that my dad is.

He's in my eyes
My heart, my soul
My hands, my pride
And when I feel alone

And I think I can't go on
I hear him sayin' "Son you'll be alright"
Everything's gonna be alright"
Yes it is

Everything that my dad is, I am. He has instilled all of that in me. What he has seen, I've seen. What he feels, I feel. Who he is, I am. I am proud of both of us. I know that my dad is proud of me. When I told him I was joining the fire academy, I have never seen him prouder. I know that even though he tries to hide it, he is scared though. I know that I will be okay. I'll be okay because I am strong. He has made me strong. My entire life my dad has never let me give up. There have been times during my training when it got hard. So hard at times that I felt like quitting. I didn't believe that I could possibly continue. Everytime I would feel that way though, my dad's strength would push me on. Somewhere inside of me I could hear him, his encouragement. He would tell me to go on, that I would be alright. I knew he wasn't actually there, but somehow I knew he was right.

The older I get
The more I can see
That he loved my mother and my brother and me
And he did the best that he could
And I only hope when I have my own family
That everyday I see
Oh I hope I see
I hope everyday I see
A little more of my father in me

As I get older I get smarter. I understand the world more. I remember when Bobby was only five he came to me one day and he asked me who dad was. I didn't really understand the question, after all he knew dad. I came to believe that he wanted to know exactly what dad did. That wasn't what I told him though, when I answered him. I looked my little brother right in the eye and I said, "Dad is the greatest man in our lives." There have been a lot of incidents like that with my little brother. When Bobby was ten, right before I started in the academy, Bobby's school had a career day. To Bobby himself it didn't matter much, he already knew what he wanted. When he was six he announced one day that when he grew up he was joining FDNY and he has never backed down from that. This gave him the opportunity though to see and understand all the different possibillities he had. He came home from school and he asked me, "Joey, since you're an adult, what do you want to be?" Again, even though I knew that he was talking about careers, that's not how I answered him. I knelt down so we were eye level and I responded the easiest way I knew how. I told him, "I want to be dad." My little brother smiled at me and I knew that he understood. Bobby and I have a connection. Even though I am twelve years older than him, we have always wanted the same thing. To be just like dad.

A little more of my father in me
I hope everyday I see in me
In me
In me
I hope everyday I see

So now here I am. Twenty-two years old, engaged and about to be considered among the best. After all my hard work, in one hour I will finally graduate from the academy. Allie will be there to see me finally get my dream. Mom and Bobby will also be there. The biggest for me though is that dad will be there. My dad, my hero, will be there to witness the beginning of my journey. My journey to carry on his legacy. All that I have ever wanted was to be just like my dad. Mom tells me all the time that I remind her more and more of my father. I hope that she is right. I hope that as I get older, that everyday I see a little more of my father in me.

A little more of my father in me