Happy Father’s Day

Say hello to my Dad.  He is a pretty incredible person.

Most of the world doesn’t know my Dad very well, which is unfortunate for them, because he has more strength of character than anyone else I know.  Most people don’t know this about him because my Dad is a quiet and introspective man, who despite his external appearance of silence, likely has more intelligent thoughts whizzing through his head on any given day than most of us do in a week.  Some of us, a month.

It’s sad to me that more people don’t know my Dad – because he truly makes the world a better place.  Ounce for ounce, I believe he is more productive, more driven, more intelligent, more useful, more caring, and more true-hearted than almost anyone out there.   But, only the few who are close to him really know this about him.  And maybe that’s okay – that those who matter the most to him are the ones who really get it.

But… it’s Father’s Day, so I am going brag to you a little about my Dad:

~  He taught me to dip my raisins in peanut butter.

~  He helped me learn to walk, taught me to ride a bike, to drive a stick-shift, he ran with me to train for highschool track, tutored me (patiently) in calculus… and physics, taught me to shoot a rifle, took me cross country skiing after school, and played basketball with me in the driveway.  These are among countless other things he taught me.

~  He has been a steadfast rock in my life.  Never wavering, always there, willing to help me and my brother with pretty much anything we asked.

~  He’s pretty much earned a professional mover’s license for all the times he has selflessly helped me move my stuff around the country (without so much as a single complaint).   And my mom too!

~ He is a health nut… and because of that I am a healthier, more active person, too.

~ No one has mastered the art of falling asleep with your nose in a physics book like my Dad!  To be honest though, I have never known anyone so dedicated to enriching their mind with knowledge as my Dad.  His mind is constantly thirsty.  He is a lifetime student who dedicates himself to learning new things, even now in retirement, with a fervor and persistence that I’ve rarely seen in others.  While I definitely got my love of learning from him, I only wish I had as much of his dedication.

~  He is an idealist.  But, unlike most people who just dream of how things should be, for him it isn’t a futile mental exercise.  I admire his ability to actually live his life according to his ideals, making conscious decisions based on his values.  Because of his example, I grew up to be a stronger and more independent person, less swayed by popular trends, and able to go my own way in life.

~  Saturday morning French toast.  Whistling in the kitchen.

~ He still writes me an old-fashioned hand-written letter every now and then.  I don’t think I’ve ever said much about it, but I think it’s special.

In the end, my brother and I are pretty lucky to have the honor to know our Dad and to have had such a great example to follow as we started our little lives.  We can probably never thank him enough or repay all that he has done for us.  I just hope he knows that we know…

Happy Father’s Day!