But seriously, there is no gift or card that I can even imagine presenting you with that could come close to expressing my love and admiration for you. You and Mom combined to model and teach me so many of the lessons that have molded me into the man that I have become. I hope to become that kind of parent with my own children.
Your willingness and desire to spend time with us and the sacrifices you made may never show up on any ledger sheet other than our own hearts. But I believe that is how God measures a life of purpose. He says a successful life is achieved through serving, obedience and how you touched and influenced people for His Kingdom. How you balanced working swing shift hours and still had the time and energy to play and invest in us is beyond my understanding. It is a example that I try to emulate each day with my own child.
There are so many things that I'm grateful for in regard to you being my Dad, but I'm also grateful for the playtime that you carved out for us. Whether it was basketball pick-up games or doubles tennis, taking us out west on camping trips or Thanksgiving football games, there are so many wonderful memories that flow from those days. I just want to express my heartfelt appreciation for all of the great memories and examples that you have given me to cherish.
Here are some other gifts that I am so grateful for on this Fathers Day. I am grateful for a man who modeled true commitment and love to my mom. Who was a sterling example of hard work and honoring your word. Who showed through his actions that life was something you earned and life wasn't for the lazy. That honoring God through attending church and reading His Word wasn't just a token responsibility but a life long commitment in obedience and servant- hood. That laughter was good and whining was bad. What worrying is a sin and faith is the path to pleasing God. (I have to confess I'm still working on that one. . . ) That being a good friend required hard work but was paid back many times over. That work was the vehicle that ran life and not the other way around . . .
There are so many other words that I could say but then I would be writing a book and not a blog. But I want to end with a collage of words that spark wonderful memories each time I think of them: Cades Cove, Apache, slide shows, Disney cartoons at the drive-thru, UT football, fall days in the yard, winter days building in the cold, frozen hands . . . (wait a minute, let's scratch that last one), softball games at Vogel State Park, Christmas - all the joy of playing with whatever toys you and Mom could sacrifice to buy us, car trips, popcorn, church softball games, grandpa and grandma visits, flying down a cable in the woods, following a pet that couldn't see, building us a cool tree house/fort, ping-pong wars, tennis under the lights, football games across the street, learning to drive . . . (wait, let's scratch that last one also), grape Popsicles, Braves baseball, the Omni and watching the Flames and Bruins play hockey, hardware stores, picnics around the country, hiking down into Bryce and up into Zion, biking the neighborhood, looking for bears in the dark, letting me listen to your records, teaching me to play chess, how to ride a bike, Harrison Bay Park, swimming at Standing Stone, (well, some of us were swimming . . . ) sacrificing to give me piano lessons - and then having the fortitude to make sure I practiced, hiking up White Oak Mountain, hiking the Smokies, the importance of money (and the recognizing what it could and could not do) and so many other things that would take me days to recollect. You are an inspiration and a wonderful picture of what I think God must be like. I hope you have a great day!
I love you Dad.
