My dad takes great pride in being able to calm the fussiest of babies. As is pictured (left), my dad walked Cutesome to sleep one night and I was able to get a picture of it. My sister, Aubrey, talks with fondness about how my dad used to get up in the night with her colicky first child so she could get some much-needed rest. I remember my dad getting up in the middle of the night with me any time I threw up (yuck!) and helping to clean up the mess.
He has always done his best to provide for our needs and sacrificed much for our family. My dad never drove a fancy car or spent much money on himself; he worked, then gave what he earned to our family. My dad is an entrepreneur at heart and explored various business ventures as we grew up, but for most of my growing-up years he worked for someone else to pay the bills and get insurance. This was a sacrifice he made for us because it is not his nature to be an employee.
I've always considered my dad one of the most intelligent people I know. He is able to study whatever subject he's interested in to whatever extent he likes and doesn't appear to have subjects that he doesn't understand once he puts his mind to learning about something.
My sister and I have talked about how we used to watch him work around the house just so we could be with him. Once in a while, as a youth, I would ask him questions about math or science just so he would have something to talk to me about (I did this knowing his answers would be very long). I remember one time when my spanish teacher in middle school wouldn't let me make up work from when I was sick. First my dad made me go try to work it out with the teacher by discussing the problem and giving him a note, verifying that I was actually sick. When the teacher wouldn't budge, my dad and I met with the teacher and they talked until the teacher saw it my dad's way. Considering the importance I placed on my grades, this was a very meaningful experience for me. I felt like he stood up for me.
Today I know my father to be someone who is trying to improve himself, which is hard to do - especially because the "golden years" seem to be a time when some older people sink deeper into the routines they've developed throughout their lives. I want to follow his example to improve myself, regardless of my station in life. He is working to overcome the "natural man" and become Christlike. He gives us, his children, advice in an effort to teach us things it has taken him his whole life to learn "the hard way". Sometimes he gets frustrated with our failure to listen to him or our distractability, but the advice is there for those that want to take it. I am coming to learn that my dad's intentions are in the right place. I think he is trying to be the father we all want him to be, but sometimes we don't give him the space he needs to grow and shamefully I admit we sometimes second-guess his motives.
Dad, I love you. You're the best. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else. Thanks for everything you have done over the years to provide for and teach me. Now that I'm a parent, I'm beginning to see how many, many things you must have done for me that I never even knew about; thank you for all those things I can't name. I wouldn't be who I am today without your influence.
5 comments:
That is a great post Natalie. Our parents really only want the best for us..and sometimes it takes an "aha moment" to realize that...and I remember that about your dad too...always being able to calm down the fussiest baby...maybe he's the baby whisperer? :) cute cute blog.
Thank you Natalie. Yours are the kindest, most thoughtful comments I've ever received. They mean the world to me.
Dad
Wow. And you won't even give me a hug!
Well written, Nat.
If I can add one thing to the vomit comment:
I remember that as well. It was always Dad's job to clean up when one of us lost that particular battle. I remember getting the flu in high school (when Dad was working at home) and I threw up all over the floor in my room when I tried to hurry to the bathroom. It hit a book and splashed everywhere. I remember standing there thinking, "Great. I'm sick and I get to clean this up because I'm too old now for Dad to do it for me." By the time I came back from cleaning myself up in the bathroom Dad had already started and he insisted that I just rest.
I know his nose is less sensitive than most people, but there's no way he didn't smell it every time.
Sorry if this was too graphic...
- Jon
Yes, it's true - he volunteered for this gross job on night duty and he was always willing (thorough too). The baby bounce was something he mastered through lots of experience. I notice men's arms are better suited for the position colicky babies like. He did spend a lot of evenings "swaying" in front of the TV rather than sitting and watching comfortably.
Mom
These are the same things I remember about Dad. Great post, it almost made me cry.
And seriously, the throw-up thing... Can you believe he did that for 6 kids?? That's a lot of gross, and I remember the exact same thing.
Post a Comment