My Dad

My dad is one of the greatest men I know. I look up to him so much, and I value his opinion and advice. Yes, he's getting older, his health and hearing are not as good as they were five or ten years ago, but I know he's got a lot left in him. He is very kind and thoughtful, and I don't know of a single enemy he's ever had, or anyone that has any ill will towards him. He's just a great guy that everyone loves to love. He's got so many awesome life stories to tell. To me, it seems he's been everywhere and done everything. I love the time I get to spend with him and how he takes the time to tell me about his life before I was born. I even find it endearing to hear some of the same stories more than, um, we'll just say once or twice.

His name fits him well, as anyone who knows him can attest. He truly is a "Jack of all trades." He knows a little about everthing. An officer of the law by career; but that's hardly what I tell people when I'm asked, "what does he do?" Not just your regular run-of-the-mill police officer; he flys helicopters for the Sherriff's Department. He's a sailor and scuba diver with a passion for the ocean. He'd be perfectly content to live out his life on a boat, sailing wherever the wind takes him (as long as my mom would be by his side). I love how he tells me, "I can't sleep well without your mother next to me." In my opinion, he's the world's greatest guitar player. I think my very best memories of growing up have to be when he would sit in the living room and play his guitar. One by one, our entire family would join in, and soon we'd all be gathered around him, singing and dancing to our favorite songs like "Grandma's Feather Bed" and "Inch by Inch." I also have great memories of him taking us on motorcycle rides on Saturday morning down to the donut shop. He loved his motorcycles for years and years, but after a terrible accident, he stopped riding. Still to this day when one passes us by, he'll say, "Ah, nothing sounds like a Harley."

He's been our family's "fix-it" man for everything from dollhouses to broken sinks or toilets and rundown cars. Christmas was always more work than fun for him, as he spent the night before and all Christmas day putting toys and bikes together for us to play with. I'm sure he thought those days had ended when we all left the house, but now he's doing the same thing for his grandchildren. He loves to cook breakfast. Cold cereal is a snack for him. Breakfast is eggs (any way you want them), hashbrowns (not frozen - he actually shreds fresh potatoes), spam, ham or bacon, or nice fluffy pancakes. He picked up the hobby of making jewelry years ago, and even made wedding rings for me and The Man. After six-and-a-half years of being married, I still get frequent compliments from strangers on my ring. With seven kids, I don't think he was able to play favorites, but he sure has a way of making you feel like you are. He is a wonderful teacher and a great example of what a father should be. I never once remember him raising his voice to me. Ever. Now that I have children of my own, that amazes me. How he did it, I'll never know.

The one thing he doesn't do is dance. But he's even conceded on that one on more than one occassion. He has danced with all of us girls at our weddings. We wouldn't have let him get away without it. He's a very sensitive person, and music is one thing that brings his emotions to the surface. I get that from him. He called me a couple weeks ago just to ask if I had heard a certain country song. He said he'd probably never be able to get through it, but if he could, he'd line up all his sons-in-law and sing it to them. It's called, "I Loved Her First."

Look at the two of you dancing that way,
Lost in the moment and each other's face.
So much in love you're alone in this place,
Like there's nobody else in the world.
I was enough for her not long ago,
I was her number one,
She told me so.
And she still means the world to me,
Just so you know,
So be careful when you hold my girl.
Time changes everything,
Life must go on,
And I'm not gonna stand in your way.

But I loved her first, and I held her first.
And a place in my heart will always be hers.
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me,
I knew the love of a father runs deep.
And I prayed that she'd find you someday,
But it's still hard to give her away.
I loved her first.

How could that beautiful woman with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew?
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights.
And I knew the first time I saw you with her,
It was only a matter of time.

But I loved her first, and I held her first.
And a place in my heart will always be hers.
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me,
I knew the love of a father runs deep.
And I prayed that she'd find you someday,
But its still hard to give her away.
I loved her first.

From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me,
I knew the love of a father runs deep.
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you.
I loved her first.

The love my dad has shown for me is the closest I can wrap my brain around how our Heavenly Father feels for us. Just the thought of losing him brings me to tears. We're not allowed to talk about it in our house. It's funny, though, how the circle of life has brought us to where we are now. I've depended on him for so much and for so many years; it's interesting that now we are the ones helping him with things. It makes me feel good to be able to help him sometimes, after all he's done for me. Even if it's just helping him sell something on ebay or craigslist, or cleaning up his house to get it ready to sell. I know he appreciates it.

It's not Father's Day, and it's not his birthday, but I want my dad to know that I think about him on every other day, and that he's always important to me. I wouldn't be who I am without him for a dad. And I'm proud of the person he helped me become. So thanks, Dad, for everything.