Last year, I did a tribute post to my dad right before Father's Day, sharing all the ways that he has impacted my life. I thought I'd kick off this three part series on Father's Day by reposting that original post here and wishing my dad a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
With Father's Day being Sunday, I've been thinking lately about all the positive ways my dad has impacted my life and how those things continue to have an influence in my life yet today.
By very nature, I tend to be wired as a "half empty" type of person rather than a "half full" one. Because of this, I probably see the negative characteristics in people quicker than I do the positive ones. And thus, I'm probably quicker to verbalize ways I think someone can improve or change for the better, faster than I am to compliment them for the things I already appreciate about them.
Recently, the Lord has convicted me of doing this with my dad. My dad's a great guy who has a big heart and he deserves the admiration of this son and to know at least a few of the ways that he has impacted my life and continues to do so today.
THE FOLLOWING IS A FATHER'S DAY TRIBUTE TO MY DAD
BECAUSE OF MY DAD....
1. Because of my dad...we had great family vacations growing up and, as a result, I make family vacations a priority for my family today. We always had great family vacations growing up. My favorite ones were when we went camping. I loved to help pack the camper. Our favorite place to camp was Potato Creek State Park. My dad went to great lengths to plan great trips whether it was hitching up the trailer and going camping or packing in our full-size conversion van to head to the Rocky Mountains.
2. Because of my dad...I enjoy learning about history. I'm pretty sure I got my love for learning about history from my dad. Growing up, my dad always enjoyed watching movies about history and taking us to historical spots when on vacation. Thus, I don't think it's a coincidence that I chose History as my primary focus area when majoring in Secondary Education in college. Today, I especially enjoy watching movies about history and real life events and have a number of historical places that I'd like to visit before I die.
3. Because of my dad...we had amazing family Christmas' growing up. There's no doubt that Christmas was and is my dad's favorite holiday. More than anything else, my dad loved and still loves to give presents to his children (and now to his grandchildren). Hmmm, sounds like somebody else I know! "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:11)
4. Because of my dad...I'm a die-hard Notre Dame football fan. Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I love sports and none more than football. One Christmas when I was probably about seven, my brother and I both got football uniforms for Christmas, complete with helmets and pads. Of course, being 3 years older than my brother, it was never a match. (I'm not sure what my parents were thinking but sure I enjoyed it). While I love the game of football, nothing compares to Notre Dame football. I remember my dad taking me to my first Notre Dame football game when I was 8 or 9. We went to the Navy game. Notre Dame won on a day that was cold and rainy. More recently, my dad and I both had the chance to be Notre Dame Stadium Ushers together for a few years. Like the saying goes, "There's football and then there's Notre Dame Football." Thanks dad for making sure I understood this at an early age!
5. Because of my dad...I was able to go to college. I didn't realize it at the time, but my parents had saved and invested money for years to help pay for me and my brother to go to college. I realize now just how much of my college tuition they actually paid. There's no doubt that this involved plenty of sacrifice on my parents part and a lot of personal sacrifice on my dad's part.
6. ...I've learned the importance of being a good steward of the things God has given me. This is one that definitely comes from my dad. I have a very strong sense of responsibility to be a wise investor and manager of the things I have. While growing up it was annoying, I now appreciate and value the way that my dad taught my brother and I to take care of the things that we had been given. More than I could have ever understood, my dad knew from experience just how much work went into being able to buy the things we had. I think the Lord has always blessed my parents for being good financial stewards.
And finally, I've saved the one for last that I think epitomizes my dad the best...
7. Because of my dad...I greatly admire factory workers and thank God every day that I get to do something I love for a living. Growing up, I watched (well not really, I was still sleeping) my dad get up at 5 a.m. every morning to go to a job that he hated. My dad has worked the same factory job his entire adult life. The environment is poor, at best, and the work is physically exhausting. I remember as a kid my dad living for the first two weeks of July, when the factory shutdown. I remember asking him one time just a few years back why he continued doing a job he hated. He said he did it for his family and so my brother and I could have experiences and opportunities that he and my mom never had growing up (i.e. attend camps, go on vacations, have nice stuff, go to college, etc.). To think that my dad did this for me is very humbling!Thanks dad for modeling and teaching me such valuable life lessons! I love you! Happy Father's Day!
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