There are many dads who have influenced my life. But today I am grateful for three in particular; my daddy, my daddy-in-law and the daddy of my children (even though we only have one so far). They each have very different personalities and all have qualities that make them so special to me. So, I've compiled a list, an incomplete list, of why I love each of them.
My Daddy is...
- a great listener, even if he doesn't care or completely disagrees with what you telling him, he'll still listen. And I suppose I shouldn't say that he "doesn't care" to listen to something, because he does. There are just topics that he probably cares less about than others, but if that's what is important to me, it is important to him.
- one of the smartest people I know, and I know some pretty smart people. I think the key to his intelligence isn't that he is a fountain of knowledge, but that he knows where and how to find information. He is always learning and has fortunately passed this quality on to my siblings and me.
- very friendly, although deep down he is quite the introvert. He works very hard to step out of his comfort-zone; he even talks to random strangers in the grocery store or airport. And he's always doing his best to let people know he loves and thinks about them.
- always serving and consecrating his time. He never ceases to amaze me. He says he's old, but he has at least double the energy I do. I know it is God-given and is a gift because he uses his time so wisely to benefit others. I hope to one day be as Christ-like as he is.
- quite talented. He's the only person I have ever met who can read and watch television at the same time. And he really is doing both! The TV is not just noise in the background. Ask him what is going on in either the book or the screen and he'll tell you. And he reads crazy fast. He can burn through a 600 page book in a couple days...while watching TV! Amazing.
- completely selfless and kind. For example, he washes the dishes every night, without fail. My mom never asks him to. She doesn't have to. As soon as he's finished eating, he clears the table, fills the sink and goes to town. He'd say this is because she "trained him well" but I think it's just because he's always trying to ease her load and help however he can.
- MY DAD! I can't count the times he's snuggled in bed with me because I was having bad dreams, helped with homework because I was down to the last line or just been there to support and listen to me.
My Daddy-in-law is...
- not only funny himself, but also has a great sense of humor. He definitely appreciates a good joke when he hears one.
- a sports guru. He always knows which games are going on and who's playing. It is necessary to have one such person in every family so everyone else is informed of all the important games.
- full of random, but very important, information. He can tell you how long your meat is good for, when to change your spark plugs and how to grow tomatoes. And he's almost always available to answer our strange questions so he can advise us on what to do.
The Daddy of my children is...
- sensitive and caring. He is careful to not hurt someone's feelings, but in the event he does, he is quick to apologize and ask forgiveness. He hates to have people mad at him.
- always willing to help. It doesn't matter what I ask him to do, he'll drop anything to help me. I love knowing that he won't complain and that I can always count on him. Diapers, dishes, laundry, dinner, etc...you name it. He even helped with his own Father's Day breakfast and dinner because I was drained after being up with a teething baby three nights in a row.
- super snuggly and tender. He especially loves to cuddle with Miriam (even when she doesn't) and is just so cute with her. He's a great dad. He likes to cuddle with me too and I like to cuddle back during movies and when I'm cold, but that's about it...poor cuddly guy married a non-cuddler.
- a fantastic cook. This is probably what won me over and is also probably the reason our waistlines never seem to get any smaller. Oh well, at least we eat yummy food!
- always able to make me smile and laugh...even when I don't want to. He is still so funny to me and I love that we are able to pick on one another and that it's okay.
- very patient, which is a very good thing when working with me. He is always level-headed about things that stress me out and he helps keep me grounded.
- all boy. Switching to construction has been such a good change for him. He is so happy now learning about all this 'boy' stuff...and he gets to work with cool toys and power tools.
- my best friend. I can talk to him about anything and he always listens and helps talk me through things when I'm stressed or worried. I love being married to my best friend!
- a fantastic dad. He has always been great with kids (just hang around when the nieces and nephews are around -- they are magnetized to him for some reason -- they even like him more than they like me) and is wonderful with Miriam. He always wants to make sure she's happy and feeling well.
Miriam at two days old with Daddy
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