I mention this because I never went on a real vacation with my own father. My dad always combined business with vacation. He would arrange to run the candy store concession at some Ellenville New York resort which allowed his family to stay in rooms for next to nothing for a whole summer. I can't tell you how many Jewish girls I met! Other years he would do likewise in Sackett Lake or some other Catskill resort. The only time my brother and I would actually see my father is when we went to the candy store to get, well, candy.

The rest of the year my father ran his own woman's dry goods store: panties, girdles, stockings, gloves, scarves, handbags, and costume jewelry. My brother and I worked for him before we were teens. I could tell a woman's bra size just by looking by the time I was 10. I haven't stopped looking since.

But with my wife's dad, my other dad, vacation could be enjoyed just for itself. Having him for a father-in-law made it easier to accept my own father's death years ago. Indeed, he treated me as if I were his real son. His passing now has brought it all into one jolt for me yesterday: I miss both of my dads so very much.

So, aside from wishing every father out there a "Happy Father's Day", here's one for all the dads that aren't here anymore: