I'm Your Daddy

Today as I sit here thinking about my dad and what he's meant to me through the years, I've come up with something new and fun to pay tribute to the man who helped teach me some pretty important things in life:

Funny. I definitely get my sense of humor from my dad. We can go back and forth with jokes and he has some great one-liners. Along with joking in general, he's helped me learn to not take the trivial things in life so seriously, and encourages me to do spontaneously fun things too!

Appreciation for simpler things. Growing up with parents who were divorced, we didn't always get the opportunity to live with lavish accommodations or get to go to more upscale eateries and such. But what made up for it was my dad teaching me to appreciate every moment as it comes as if it is your last. He taught me to value simple things and to take everything else as just an added blessing.

Trustworthy. I love having a father that I know I can go to and share everything with. From my biggest fears to my happiest moments, I've had the honor of being able to trust my father enough to share it all, knowing that he doesn't see me as less of a person. In fact, I remember once, telling my father about something I did when I was a kid and saying, "Dad, just so you know, when I was younger, I did this _________," and seeing him smile as he said, "Oh I knew. People told me you did. But I knew you were safe and that it was something you would grow and learn from." I love knowing that he isn't afraid to let me "fly" because he was always ready to catch me in case I fell.

Honesty. I remember once when I was younger and I had a super huge crush on a guy, and I told my dad about this amazing boy that was just everything wonderful on the planet. And he looks at me, smiles, and says, "Oh don't worry. You'll get over it." And the funny part is that as I got to know the boy more, he did & said some things that REALLY turned me off and I TOTALLY did get over him. My dad's ability to level with me and state honest opinions with me is truly something I appreciate.

Extra Mile. A lot of people make remarks about how they notice that I have a developed habit of giving and serving others, but truth be told, if my dad had not set that example for me at a young age, I probably wouldn't be as apt to do it now. Even when I was little, my fondest memories of my dad was him giving food to people on the street—when we BARELY had any food for ourselves. And when people needed help, he was the first to raise his hand to volunteer. He truly goes the extra mile and has instilled that value in my own heart.

Rad. Look guys, my dad is just plain cool, okay? When I was home for Christmas, I talked my dad into letting me teach him the Single Ladies dance . . . and if you could imagine an older guy in a living room watching a YouTube tutorial and doing the Single Ladies dance just to humor me, you'd understand my dad's level of AWESOME! ;) I have had SO many amazing moments of random fun with my dad, and the fact that he joins in the fun and isn't afraid to do things that are unconventional just makes me EVEN more thankful that God gave me a father I can be proud to call my DAD.

I love you daddy!


Happy Father's Day!