One of the most influential people in my life entered this world 60 years ago. My dad. And I feel blessed to have such an encouraging and patient man as my dad.
He is a person who can be counted on to be fair and not gossipy. He is a person that most people in his circle of influence will say, has integrity at his core. He is a faithful and generous leader and well respected for his passion for people.
When I was young, I was my dad's little shadow. If there was any opportunity for me to go for a ride in a truck or to town for one errand or another, I would be there. If there was work to be done in the yard, I was there.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are times in which I would go with him to pick up an evening load of sawdust. There was always a stop at the same little store for some pop and chips which made it extra awesome. (I was easy to please:)
I even would go to church every Sunday evening. And this wasn't something the average kid enjoyed. The sermons were very long and very dry. But for me, it meant time that it was just he and I sitting side by side. Me, with my head on his shoulder just relaxing.
I truly believe I was pretty easy on him all these years. An easy kid who didn't cause too much stress. That's likely why he appears so youthful. At least 10 years younger. Seriously!
Ok. There was one time I may have pushed his buttons. Just a little bit. Janey Both will often remind me of this time and we chuckle as if it was yesterday. All anyone could see was me running through the campsite, flying through the air into the tent. Only a few seconds later there was my dad, running through the campsite, flying through the air right into the tent behind me. And a bit of yelling followed. I like to think that I was helping him remain fit and trim with the exercise he got from chasing me through the campsite. LOL.
Our family certainly has been blessed to have been raised by a dad who shows much patience, grace and care.
Happy Birthday Dad! You are amazing and we wish you many more healthy and wonderful years of life to encourage people to live a life of purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment