this is my dad's senior picture and it has always held a special place in my heart. today is his 60th birthday. so, in honor of this day i want to share why i believe that my dad is the greatest man in the whole world. he is the perfect mix of manly and tough with just enough sensitivity and compassion. my dad can seriously do ANYTHING. he refers to himself as a "jack of all trades, master of none." but, my sisters and i like to call him the "renaissance man" (a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas). here are some examples of why he's the greatest and how he passed that expertise on to me over the years...1. when i learned how to drive he taught me how to check the essential fluids in my car, change a tire, the windshield wipers and headlights. all skills that have been extremely useful. he also taught me how to change a spark plug, a skill that i haven't needed yet, but if the time ever comes i will be ready.
2. he taught me how to play the piano. he stuck little pieces of masking tape on the keys and lettered them so i knew what notes they were and then showed me how to read music.
3. when i was about 15 he told me that when a boy comes to pick me up for a date he WILL come to the door. if he sits in the driveway and honks he WON'T be taking me out that night. he not only told me how i should expect men to treat me, but set an example for me in the way he cares for the women in his life.
4. when i was learning to play the guitar i asked him how i get to the point where i can strum while changing chords. his answer..."you just do it." i found this extremely frustrating until about a week later when i miraculously was able to "just do it" and realized that he was absolutely correct. i shouldn't have doubted.
5. over the years he made me weed the garden, mow the lawn, pick fruit, chop wood and countless other chores. at the time i was pretty sure he was torturing me, but looking back i realize he was teaching me not to be afraid of hard work.
6. when i was growing up sometimes on the weekends he would go and rent a nintendo from the video store and we would play mario brothers and duck hunt. pretty sure this is why to this day I LOVE VIDEO GAMES.
7. he taught me not only how to say words like distributor cap, exhaust manifold and catalytic converter, but also taught me what they mean. a knowledge that comes in handy when i need to fool a mechanic into believing that i'm not a helpless girl and i actually do know what i'm talking about.
8. when i was really young i remember finding out that the embroidery picture hanging on the wall was done by him. pretty sure this is the day i learned that my dad can do ANYTHING.
9. a couple of years ago he moved all my earthly belongings about four times in the span of 9 months. after time number four he said, "i don't want to have to do this again for a long time." i think we made it two years, but when the time came he was there ready and willing to help.
10. the other day he told me how he bought a bible for his co-worker, wrote an inscription in it and then set it on a shelf at work waiting for the time to be right to give it to him. only to find out that the co-worker started reading the bible on his own, found the inscription and came to him. i'm pretty sure this is what Jesus would have done.
he's the reason i give whenever someone is surprised i have the ability to do something like...help re-roof a house, use power tools, efficiently pack a trunk and/or u-haul truck, or jump start a car. he's proud to have raised three independent and self-sufficient daughters. he is one of the most responsible and hardest working people i've ever met and would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. there is nothing more important to him than family.
dad, i know that today when people wish you a happy birthday and ask how your day is going you will say, "it's just another day." but, today we are celebrating you because you deserve it. you do so much for the people around you with no request for recognition. you are the epitome of servant hearted. thank you for always being there to help me, to give me advice, to just be a sounding board. i love you! happy 60th birthday!
