For My Dad

I'm late posting this, which my dad would never have been. But I hope it can be overlooked.

I've never been able (within my memory) to call him "Daddy". It always seemed like kind of a wussy thing to say. (Note: My mom calls her father "Daddy" and since she is a woman who grew up in Texas that seems perfectly right and appropriate.) "Dad" works perfectly well for most things and he enjoys identifying himself as my "earthly father" when he calls.

I've learned a lot from my dad in (about) thirty years. He taught me how to throw a baseball and a football, the proper technique for shooting a jump shot and the importance of footwork in essentially all sports. I've learned from him that if you're smart and savvy, you can often win by out-thinking a bigger, faster, more athletic opponent.

My dad has a fondness for things eclectic and unusual. He enjoys music obscure and strange. He reads books that others sometimes find less than compelling has a literal appetite for novelty. That's not an incorrect usage; my dad was an English major and would be disappointed for me to mess that one up. My dad doesn't just want to eat different dishes when he eats out, I suspect he would eat at a different restaurant every time if the family would let him.

We don't always see eye-to-eye, though we do agree far more often than not. In retrospect, most of the arguments and angry moments were my fault and I was in error instead of him.

My father is an exceedingly patient and kind man. He is unfailingly polite. In my youth I would sometimes cringe to hear him making small-talk with clerks, cashiers, wait-staff and others. I doubt I shall ever equal him in the ease of manner that he has, but I now strive to emulate the way he is kind to those he meets even if he only encounters them for a moment.

A few days ago I was thanking someone for hospitality and expressing regret about something this person had missed out on. As soon as the words were out, it seemed I heard an echo of my dad. I often hear people talk about how they can't believe they sound like one of their parents despite their best efforts; I was surprised too, but also pleased that my efforts to talk like my dad sometimes succeed.

My dad works a job that I'm pretty sure is much more employment than vocation. I doubt it is the career he dreamed of as a boy. But he works hard and is good at his job. He's respected by his co-workers and it allows him to provide for his family. I do not remember ever hearing him complain about his lot in life.

He raised three sons and has six grandchildren. He is still married to the woman he married now almost 40 years ago. He is an elder in the local church congregation and is always quietly serving others.

I'm a grown man myself. My wife and I have been married more than 10 years, I have a solid job, children of my own and might be thought reasonably successful. But I have a long way to go in following the example I was set. If, at the end of my life, I've become half the man my dad is, I will have succeeded beyond my expectations.

Thanks for everything, Dad. Happy (belated) Father's Day.