My dad has given me lots of advice over the years. He is my favorite phone call in the morning on my way into the battlefields that my workplace on some days. He is the reassuring hug and the one I know will be the first to kick me in the butt to get going. He pumped "achieve, achieve" through my veins and taught me to never settle for anything less than the best. He'd pick me up and dust me off when I fell and let me cry a little. He still does that in so many ways some days.
Squaw Peak - Now Piestewa Peak, Phoenix, AZ He is a mountain climber. He used to run this mountain sometimes more than once a day. He taught me there is no mountain too big to conquer. He taught me to breathe deeply and stay focused and just keep on keeping on. He still reminds me of that when the going gets tough.
He is a risk taker and a dreamer. He is a goal setter and achiever. He is a critical thinker and a questioner - a scientist and a man of tremendous faith. He is a man of heritage and family. He has held each one of my babies through all sorts of moments good and bad, and stood side by side with my husband, in supporting me as a mom, as a career woman, as his daughter. He is my oak and I am so proud to be his acorn.
I spent the early hours today watching the tributes to Tim Russert. He was an amazing man as well. The stories touch my heart because he was so much like any of us. He was incredibly human. He summed up fatherhood so well in his book. I imagine my dad having written these same words as he left me at college so many years ago:
Before I drove off, I gave him some simple advice: “Study hard. Laugh often. Keep your honor.” I hope I’ve taught him to make good decisions and that I’ve given him a strong moral foundation to do the right thing. When my life is over, I know that the most important thing I’ll be judged on is what kind of father I was.
~ Tim Russert, Wisdom of Our Fathers
Hug your dad. If he is not close enough to hug, call him. If he is no longer around, say a prayer. He made you who you are today.
Happy Father's Day.
5 comments:
You got that right hun. Your dad is a good man that has always kept his honor, dignity and purpose. Our children are so blessed to have him as a male role model. He will forever live in their hearts as a compass for the doing the right thing.
*smiles big*
as long as he survived the night with the twins last night - yes :) most definitely!
I've run out of dad comments.
Uhm.
And I don't want to copy and paste..
:)
Dad's rock!
LOL Bliss ;) that's ok
I'll find something new in my bag of tricks to write about tomorrow - but I just had to blog about dad on Father's day :)
You actually brought a tear to this old curmudgeons eyes.
Beautiful tribute to your dad.
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