My Dad

When I was born my dad was still a baby himself. I think about how young they were having my brother and I (early twenties) and how much responsibility was on their shoulders and I’m in awe at the life they built.

My dad has been a hard worker from day one. There was never a time I remember my father not working. Even now, in retirement, he has gone back to work. He can’t seem to stop-he’s a work horse and if he stops he won’t know what to do. His drive has taught me to work hard for what I want and instilled those work ethics in me from day one.

We were never rich growing up but we also never wanting for a thing. Truly. If we wanted or needed anything, my Dad made it happen. He took us on family vacations every year. Some of my best memories are from those vacations. They were always on a budget and now I see they probably had to save all year to make them happen but we traveled all across the US and Canada with my family growing up and I feel forever grateful for the exposure and experiences they prioritized for us.

He has supported us from day one. Yes financially, of course, but more than that I could and can to this day always call my Dad anytime there is a problem. Something broke? My Dad will fix it. If Macgyver and Bob Vila had a kid it would be my Dad. Need advice, I can call my dad. I had a friend once tell me I know a lot about a lot of things and that’s because I learned it all from my Dad. He was Google before Google.

My Dad is selfless. He would literally give anyone the shirt off his back, his pants, and his shoes. And that’s how he raised his children. I can’t count the amount of times my Dad went out of his way to help a stranger growing up. As kids we would grumble sometimes when Dad stopped to help someone with car trouble, or went the extra mile to help a neighbor. But those lessons sunk in. He helped. He always stopped. And he was dependable. Always.

When I was a Junior in college I had a rough year. I was working for the school and my boss was torture, I called my parents in tears almost every night. I didn’t want to be there and I was struggling emotionally. He never once made me feel worse by discussing all the money it took to get me there. After one of the many calls of me breaking down on the phone he told me he would be there Monday morning to move me home and we would figure it out. And that’s exactly what he did. He came and got me and gave me a safe place to land for the year until I was ready to go back and finish my degree. And he championed me the whole way. Failing isn’t as hard when you have a person to help you succeed again. My parents have always been that. He taught me to regroup, dust myself off and go back. I did and I graduated Summa Cum Laude the following year.

When Walter and I got engaged we were both two broke kids trying to make a life together. Walter was relocating to Ohio and we were moving to a house to start our adventure. Except he didn’t have a job yet and I was barely making enough to cover my bills. My Dad gave us the $ he saved for our wedding and told me to use it however we needed. If we wanted a big wedding go ahead, but if we needed it to help us get by until he found work and to scale back the wedding he was ok with that too. And that’s what we did. We would not have made it that first year if it weren’t for that gracious gift.

My Dad has taught me so many things. A work ethic to match no other, a heart of service, how to fish, how to joke, how to fix everything in my house but mainly my Dad taught me how to love with no limits. Happy Father’s Day Dad.