–My Dad—

I heard someone say recently, “My dad is not living anymore, I hate hearing about how people don’t get along with their dads. I would give anything to be able to be with my dad right now”.

This person showed his love and appreciation to his dad while he was living and his love for him still grows even while he is gone.

Sometimes it takes losing someone to fully appreciate them and the crucial role they play in our lives.

I don’t want to be that someone, I want to always relish the time I have with the people I love the most now, and always.

I honestly can’t possibly understand how this person feels because my dad is still living. I can talk to him practically anytime I want. I can call, message or text him without much thought or effort on my part.

It’s quite interesting to look at some of the similar patterns or traditions that can run through families for generations.

Most good…some not so much.

As I have thought and thought about my dad my heart has been flooded with what seems like a million emotions.

After hearing this persons words of reflection on his father, I have thought long and hard about the relationship I have with my dad. I have thought about the kind of relationship I hope my kids have with my husband, their dad. I have thought about the relationships my parents have had with their dads.

But at the end of all the thoughts and memories one emotion stands strong.

One feeling that pulls through and defines him no matter what stage of life I have been in is

LOVE.

For me I haven’t always had a snuggle with, talk for hours, best friend kind of a relationship with my dad. I have seen how some of my sisters have had that, but never really had it myself.
I used to beat myself up for this, wishing I could open up to him more, wishing I could sit on the couch in his arms and just talk. Lately I have come to accept that even though I haven’t had that kind of a relationship with him doesn’t mean that the type of relationship I do have with him, hasn’t been exactly the relationship that I need.

I don’t want to look back 20 years from now and realize I didn’t recognize or appreciate my dad and the incredible man he always has been and still is.

I don’t want to lose him to acknowledge exactly how much I love him and always have.

Thinking back…

I used to fall asleep at night listening to my dad play the piano. He would sit and play out music that he made up, or work on a song that he loved, many times singing along. His piano skills were self taught but still beautiful. Even still he always worked at it and practiced, it was evident that he enjoyed doing it.

There were many nights as a kid that after family prayer and before bed, all seven of us kids and mom would be gathered together in the living room. Dad would pick up his guitar and play the wiggle song. He would start slow and strum the chords and then gradually he would strum fast then faster.

While he played we would dance, first slow then faster and faster until it was so fast we would fall to the ground laughing as hard as we could because of how funny it was.

My dad bought us every kind of farm animal we could have dreamed of as kids. Not because he was a rancher but because he wanted us to learn how to work and take care of things. He also did it just so we could enjoy them and make fun memories.
We had cows, chickens, pigeons, ducks, goats, rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, and pigs, to name a few.
As a parent now I realize how much work he must have put into doing most of the work and animal upkeep himself.

High Hopes

My dad always wanted us to dream. To set our expectations of ourselves high.
He would tell us about his own lofty dreams and aspirations and help us realize that there was nothing too big or too hard to reach if we really wanted it.
Many of the dreams I remember him telling us were about his business, his house his land and his family.

Most of those dreams he aspired to many years back, are just recently becoming a reality.

Because of his vision and determination we have so much of what we enjoy today.

Dad always wanted us to succeed. He has a unique way of showing us the way to reach our goals from a different perspective. A perspective that includes, hard work, hope, faith and determination to keep pushing for what we want and know is right and good.

Dad loves adventure.

He would take us to do things that were sometimes a little intimidating and hard. Even still he pushed us to do them.
Some of the adventures he would take us on were, hiking, caving, canoeing, horseback riding, repelling, white water rafting, camping, frogging, fishing, swimming, water tubing and skiing.

The first time he took us snow skiing I did not want to go at all.

I WAS SCARED TO DEATH!

He still made me go, he helped me push through my fears and after about what seemed like 2 hours I finally made it down the mountain in one piece (barely) haha.

Eager to Learn

Dad is always learning. He is always finding a new hobby and then works hard to master it and shares it with others. A few of the hobby’s I can remember him doing are flying, falconry, hiking, and cross fit, the most current one is steer roping while riding his horse.

Probably the earliest hobby I can remember him doing was when he became a pilot. He would spend hours studying and training. He finally got his licence and him and my Grandpa bought a small plane. Dad would fly us on mini trips to see different areas around us. One time he had a business trip in South Dakota and he took me along in the plane and dropped me off at my cousins house for a couple of days.

When I was in high school he took me flying one day on a new plane he had bought. As you may know in planes there are two steering wheels. He told me to take the Co-pilot steering wheel and steer the plane by myself. I was reluctant to try because I did not know what I was doing. He insisted, so I went ahead and tried. To my surprise I was pretty good at it after all. He let me believe I was an expert for a couple of minutes until he broke out in laughter. I asked what he was laughing at and he said, “I’ts on auto pilot, the plane is steering itself!”.

Helping others

Dad wanted us to be able to have fun but he also taught us consistently and sincerely about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He told us his testimony, but he mostly showed us his love for our Savior by serving others like he did.

Dad was always looking out to help anyone in need. If it was spiritually or physically he would do his best to help other people in and out of his family feel valued and loved.

He was the first to greet a new person at church and invite them over for dinner. When they came over he helped them feel like they were part of the family. He talked to them and asked them about their lives and listened with real intent to get to know them.

Dad was known for giving strangers, even hitchhikers a ride if they needed one. Often he would pick them up and then give them food or (money to buy food). He would talk to them while driving and found interest in their personal life stories. He always had a way of making them feel important before dropping them off at their destination.

Because of dads position in the family business he often would find people who didn’t have jobs and offer them one. Sometimes hiring them into specialties that they weren’t specifically educated or trained in. He had faith in their efforts and motivated them to be more than they thought possible.

When I was a teenager Dad insisted that we allow foreign exchange students to live with us a couple of different times. He wanted us to see how different people from different cultures lived. He wanted to help them out in any way he could. He would encourage us to be friends with them and help them feel at home in our house.

Dad has always had a special gift of getting along with teens and young adults. He has made it his mission to help them get through their tough times and has helped them feel how much worth they have. He has spent countless hours counseling, listening, advising, entertaining, and loving them.
He has given them hope and offered support in some of their toughest moments when they have had no where else to turn.

Natural Missionary

Dad has never been ashamed of what he believes in. He always shares the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter who he is with or where he is at. I have witnessed countless times his conversations with random cashiers, people at restaurants sitting nearby, waiters or waitresses, people pumping their gas at the same time as him, (basically anyone he his standing or sitting by for more than 10 seconds he becomes their friend) and within 1 minute after that has brought up where he goes to church and how it blesses his life.
He does it in such a natural friendly way people don’t feel intimidated or think it’s weird or different, and many times they have been eager to find out more about Christ because of him.

Dad has inspired me in ways that I could spend hours writing about.

He has helped me through some of my toughest times by reminding me that he and mom are always here to support and love me no matter what I go through.

I love him for that.

I love him for keeping our family together through the thick and the thin.

For not giving up on me when I am less than deserving.

For always believing in me and offering me encouragement and advice when I need it most.

For investing his life to our family and to God.

I feel bad that I have ever taken him for granted or not been the kind of daughter he hoped I would be.

I feel bad I have sometimes disappointed him because of my silly pride or personal faults.

I hope to always cherish the time I have with my dad on this earth.

I hope I can carry on the legacy he allowed me to be a part of.

I hope he has always known and always does know from here on out how much I LOVE HIM!

I LOVE YOU DAD!

If you ever read this Dad- Happy Father’s Day!

xoxo

Sara

What memories do you have of your dad that make you smile?