With Father’s Day just around the corner, I thought I would take a minute and tell you a little about my dad.
The ninth of ten children, and the seventh boy, my dad grew up in a large family in Idaho. He has been employed as a UPS delivery man for as long as I can remember and he loves it. By nature, he is a quiet guy, but in the sense that he is more observant than you’d think. When he does have something to say or a strong opinion on something, it’s usually something worth noting. He’s humble, charitable, a hard-worker, and takes the best cat naps of anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s conservative, slightly old-fashioned, easily amused, and has a love of history. He overpays his grandkids for mowing the lawn, and changes the ratings on Transformer movies from “PG-13” to “PG-5”. He can fix just about everything and will settle for nothing but perfection while at it.
I’ve learned from my dad that hiking is as close to heaven as one can get--that the mental challenge is always the hardest. He taught me that Saturday nights are for pizza and Sundays are for popcorn, and every other day can be for ice cream. He also taught me complaining gets you nowhere and whistling while you work really is a thing. From him, I’ve learned that silence doesn’t mean you don’t care and it’s okay to cry--when you’re both happy and sad.
My dad taught me to love sports. One of the most pivotal memories was the day he took me to a track when I was 8 years old and told me the best way to handle my frustrations was to run. I never grew to love running, but I learned to love other sports, all of which my dad encouraged. He taught me to throw a football, shoot a basketball, and skip rocks. He showed me that watching college sports is way more entertaining than professional sports, and that good shoes are always worth paying for. Throughout my life, he’s cheered me on through my victories and has been there to console me during the losses.
He's the dad that stays up until all hours of the night helping us lay the floor in our new home. He asks for advice, even when he already has his own opinions. I learned as a young girl that my dad is the softest when it was time to brush my hair. He taught me to drive a stick-shift, though it nearly did us both in! I learned to find joy in serving others through his selfless example.
“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful” is a quote I have in my home. This is how I think of my dad. He certainly isn't perfect, of course, no one is, but he sure is perfect for me, and I can't think of a bigger compliment than being told, "You take after your dad". I feel grateful for his continued influence, support, and love that he shows me and my young family.
Happy Father’s Day to all those great men out there. You know who you are. You’re loved and appreciated more than you know (despite all your awesome “dad jokes”). Keep up the awesome work and enjoy your special day!