My dad is an honest, hard working man. I know there must have been times when he could have cheated on something, told a small lie, or done something sneaky to get ahead and get more money for his family, but he never did. My dad had a lot of mouths to feed, and some of the jobs he had weren't what others could call glamorous, but he never sat idly by while his family struggled. Whenever we needed something, and I mean the true meaning of "needed", he always did his best to make sure we had it. Sometimes my dad had to work odd hours and difficult schedules, but I always remember my dad being there at home, and for that I am so grateful to him.
My dad is also very selfless. He used to (and still does) drive us EVERYWHERE, and sometimes that would require three or four trips, but my dad did it. I remember once we had only a small two door hatchback Honda to get us around in. For the most part it worked just fine for my dad to get to and from work and run errands and such. However, whenever someone needed to go somewhere, it was more often than not the case that there were several others that needed to go as well, so my dad would take the first load then come back and take a second load to a different place and then come back and take a third load to somewhere else altogether. And just when he thought he could take a little break it was time to go start picking everyone up. Looking back now I just don't know how that man ever got any rest. If I have never said it before, dad, thank you so much for being so selfless and taking me to where ever I needed to go.
My dad is a spiritual man, as well. He taught us the gospel, and taught us to pray and serve in the church. I remember a few times when he taught my Sunday School class and my seminary class. Most people would have been embarrassed that their fathers were teaching, but I loved his lessons. He liked to go on these little tangents and he would always get so excited, but then he realized that some of the stuff he was getting excited about was a little over our heads and he would go back to the lesson. It is great to see him get that twinkle in his eye when he speaks of spiritual matters. Church and religion were serious matters, but my dad knew how to incorporate a little fun, too. I remember when I was getting ready to be baptized when I was eight my toe stuck out of the water, so we had to do it again. I remember looking at my dad and whispering "Dad? Can you step on my toe so it won't come out again?" He just smiled and said sure. He did it, too. You ask my dad to do something like that and, well, let's just say you don't have to ask him twice. He was always willing to teach a lesson in church, give a talk, serve the members, and help those in need. He still is, and I love that example. He has sacrificed so much for our family but you would never hear that from him because he is so humble. I am so grateful for everything he has done for us. I love you, dad!
No comments:
Post a Comment