pops
i've been thinking about my dad a lot recently. i worry about his health. i worry that we won't have him for much longer and i'm not ready for him to go. today in sacrament meeting as the speakers spoke of dads, i thought of my dad and my heart filled up with so much thankfulness. i love my dad so much.
dad has lots of flaws just like the rest of us. but he has such magnificent strengths. there is so much i love about him. there are so many ways i wish i was more like him.
dad would do anything for one of his kids. if he can do it, he will. he's always been there for me, whether to lay his 70 year old head by the side of the dark rainy highway to change my flat tire, or buying me groceries when i had no food and no money, or paying for a semester of college, or driving me to early morning shifts at mcdonald's, or helping me take my bed bug ridden furniture to the dump or giving me a job, or driving me the 4.5 hours to edmonton to get my braces off or whatever. he's taught me that you are always there for family. it all has to do with his generous spirit. he's generous to a fault. i love that about him.
dad does hard things. i learned from my dad to not be daunted when given a had task. you just put your head down and start working. i've seen life throw him so many curve balls. if dad gets knocked down he gets back up and tries again. i hear his oft recited poem in my head urging me to go on when i don't want to "get up and win the race." he has dogged determination and great faith. i love that about him.
dad is a teacher. he is one of the most influential teachers of my life. he taught me the gospel. he unfolded the scriptures to me and imprinted them in my heart and mind. he took the time to answer my questions and explain things i didn't understand. i remember sitting on his knee and looking at his wedding band as he used it to explain eternity to me. i remember driving home from institute and asking him questions about things i didn't understand from the scriptures. i remember walking through the forest with him and learning about douglas firs, hemlocks and cedars. i remember asking him about political issues and world events. i'm a better teacher because of what he taught me. i love that about him.
dad is a voracious learner. he read encyclopedias on the toilet, people. he may have been a high school drop out but he never stopped learning or teaching himself new things. i learned from him the value of learning, curiosity and seeking knowledge. he taught us all to be argumentative, know-it-alls. i love that about him.
dad is a kid at heart. he has always loved to play with us, and be silly. he made us laugh with jennidy bunnidy. he played sports and games with us. he terrorized us with his cabin fever. i love that about him.
dad is an adventurer. he may not have realized his dreams of canoeing to south america or sailing around the world but he's taken me to many wonderful and beautiful places and on countless road trips. because of him i love to see what's around that bend in the path, and explore new places. because of him i have dreams of the places i'll go and the things i'll do. i love that about him.
dad is a story teller. the stories of his life are the legends of our family. i love love love that about him.
dad is a language man and he married a language woman. and so we became the family that loves to read and write, to learn languages, and to debate the nuances of our own language to death. i love that about him.
dad is a music man. sure he may be insecure about his own abilities sometimes but he loves music and used it to unify our family. i feel like all the music in our family--all the singing we did together bound us together with strong cords. i am insecure about my abilities too but i could never stop singing. music is a part of me because of all the family prayer and scripture reading hymns, all the family home evening songs, all the road trip songs, all the campfire rounds, all the times we just gathered around the piano and sang, all songs my parents sang to me as i fell asleep each night. dad has given me the gift of music and i love that about him.
dad is a teaser. he's taught me the craft. i love that about him.
dad is strong and tough. i love that about him.
dad could have been many things. he could have taken his experiences growing up with an abusive father, and he could have become someone very different. but my dad chose to improve his life and improve himself. he was never a perfect dad but he was a dad who tried. he taught me that i can repent and try to be better. my dad improves with age. i love that about him
dad has lots of flaws just like the rest of us. but he has such magnificent strengths. there is so much i love about him. there are so many ways i wish i was more like him.
dad would do anything for one of his kids. if he can do it, he will. he's always been there for me, whether to lay his 70 year old head by the side of the dark rainy highway to change my flat tire, or buying me groceries when i had no food and no money, or paying for a semester of college, or driving me to early morning shifts at mcdonald's, or helping me take my bed bug ridden furniture to the dump or giving me a job, or driving me the 4.5 hours to edmonton to get my braces off or whatever. he's taught me that you are always there for family. it all has to do with his generous spirit. he's generous to a fault. i love that about him.
dad does hard things. i learned from my dad to not be daunted when given a had task. you just put your head down and start working. i've seen life throw him so many curve balls. if dad gets knocked down he gets back up and tries again. i hear his oft recited poem in my head urging me to go on when i don't want to "get up and win the race." he has dogged determination and great faith. i love that about him.
dad is a teacher. he is one of the most influential teachers of my life. he taught me the gospel. he unfolded the scriptures to me and imprinted them in my heart and mind. he took the time to answer my questions and explain things i didn't understand. i remember sitting on his knee and looking at his wedding band as he used it to explain eternity to me. i remember driving home from institute and asking him questions about things i didn't understand from the scriptures. i remember walking through the forest with him and learning about douglas firs, hemlocks and cedars. i remember asking him about political issues and world events. i'm a better teacher because of what he taught me. i love that about him.
dad is a voracious learner. he read encyclopedias on the toilet, people. he may have been a high school drop out but he never stopped learning or teaching himself new things. i learned from him the value of learning, curiosity and seeking knowledge. he taught us all to be argumentative, know-it-alls. i love that about him.
dad is a kid at heart. he has always loved to play with us, and be silly. he made us laugh with jennidy bunnidy. he played sports and games with us. he terrorized us with his cabin fever. i love that about him.
dad is an adventurer. he may not have realized his dreams of canoeing to south america or sailing around the world but he's taken me to many wonderful and beautiful places and on countless road trips. because of him i love to see what's around that bend in the path, and explore new places. because of him i have dreams of the places i'll go and the things i'll do. i love that about him.
dad is a story teller. the stories of his life are the legends of our family. i love love love that about him.
dad is a language man and he married a language woman. and so we became the family that loves to read and write, to learn languages, and to debate the nuances of our own language to death. i love that about him.
dad is a music man. sure he may be insecure about his own abilities sometimes but he loves music and used it to unify our family. i feel like all the music in our family--all the singing we did together bound us together with strong cords. i am insecure about my abilities too but i could never stop singing. music is a part of me because of all the family prayer and scripture reading hymns, all the family home evening songs, all the road trip songs, all the campfire rounds, all the times we just gathered around the piano and sang, all songs my parents sang to me as i fell asleep each night. dad has given me the gift of music and i love that about him.
dad is a teaser. he's taught me the craft. i love that about him.
dad is strong and tough. i love that about him.
dad could have been many things. he could have taken his experiences growing up with an abusive father, and he could have become someone very different. but my dad chose to improve his life and improve himself. he was never a perfect dad but he was a dad who tried. he taught me that i can repent and try to be better. my dad improves with age. i love that about him
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