My Dad

Today my Dad turns 71. Woke up this morning remembering many things about him and smiling. I started thinking about the things my Dad taught me and decided to write some of them down so my kids and grandkids will have an awareness of how awesome Pawpaw Gary really is.

First of all, he taught me. This morning I started recalling our “truck talks”. Dad went very few places that he did not take me. We went everywhere together and when Dad needed to teach me, it was usually in the truck riding somewhere. During these talks he would say ”son, while I teach you I try to remember what my dad told me when I was your age”. Dad, just this week I had a teaching moment with Amanda. Guess what, I tried to remember what you told me. Those “truck talks” are something I cherish and I refer to them often as I try to be the person that you raised me to be.

Dad taught me to be a Christ-follower. He never told me how I should communicate with God but he showed me the value of a personal relationship with Him. Although he was big and strong and tougher than everyone else’s dad, I watched many times as he wept while communicating in his way. I don’t communicate that same way my dad did and my dad would never expect me to; however, I do communicate with Christ and I know the importance of it because of the example my dad set. We are on a journey to discover who Christ is and my dad has encouraged me to question and study. My dad, at 71, is so open to the things of God and he is not afraid to be honest and transparent. He will never know how much that has meant to me the last few years.

Dad taught me to Serve. No one knows the countless hours dad served others. Funny that he has always been known as a loud, tough, no-nonsense man’s man. I watched him come home day after day, eat dinner, load all his tools in the truck and go serve. The church he attended was blessed immeasurably by his “maintenance skills”. He worked for widows and those that were in need. Many times he did all this work without any chance of ever being paid for it. I watched as mom and dad decided that mom would Serve instead of building a career. For many years mom worked for the church and dad never complained that she could be making more if she pursued a public job. Recently my dad’s pastor sent me a picture of dad working at the church, at 70, and the caption said; “Kevin, you have some big shoes to fill”. You are right Nate, dad is teaching me to Serve.

Dad taught me to win. “Never give up. Never quit. I don’t care what the score is, give it everything you have got.” I am competitive. I refuse to accept anything less than winning. I was in the 5^th grade and we were having a sales contest, selling ads for our yearbook. The prize was great and I wanted it so bad. I went out to the local business in the neighborhood determined to sale more ads than anyone. After a couple of refusals, I went home ready to give up on life. Dad stopped and we had our first talk about not giving up. I went back out with a new determination to succeed. I won that contest and that same tenacity has carried me my entire life. Every sales contest I have won, every order that I have secured, every sales success that I have enjoyed…at least some part of that success came because Dad taught me how to win.

Dad taught me to lose. I remember performing poorly on a particular test. When dad came home he asked me about this test. I fearfully told him that I did not win on this one. Dad asked me one question that has shaped my life and the way I teach my children even today. He said; “did you do your best”? I learned something that day. I learned that it is okay, not acceptable but okay, to lose, if you do your best. He taught me to smile and congratulate those that beat me in sports or sales or life. He did not teach me to enjoy it, he did not teach me to be satisfied with it but he did teach me to understand losing and learn from it.

Dad taught me how to treat my family. I never heard my dad scream at his family. Tough, rigid, strict, hard…yeah maybe some know that side of him. I know the side that said son, life is not easy, you are going to face tough decisions. I am going to do everything in my power to prepare you to face those decisions and do the right thing. I also know that no matter what, my dad is there for me. He was a very busy man with incredible responsibility and many people under his direction. He told me, “son, if you need me, call me. Anytime day or night, call me and I will stop what I am doing and be there for you. He still says the same thing and I have watched time and time again as he has been there for us.

Dad taught me to work. When he loaded those tool boxes into the truck, he loaded me in as well. How many toilets have we unstopped? How many roofs have we completed? How many houses did we paint? Wow! We worked. In fact, just yesterday, we removed a tile floor from his kitchen. He stayed right there with me all day. My dad is a worker. We were working for Mr. Holderfeld and we ran into an issue that puzzled dad. He told me that we should back off and think about it. During that next week he called me and said, “son I figured it out….” Many many times in my life, I have ‘backed off’ and figured it out. “Son, if you think about it long enough, you will figure out how to get anything done.” I now work with a life coach and last week he asked me to list my greatest strength. I listed resourcefulness. My dad is the reason for that.

Dad taught me many other things that I can't even begin to recall right now; however, they always seem to come to mind just when I need them the most. Dad I love you and I thank you for teaching me.