My Father Was A Great Man

My father was a great man.  Not because he threw the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, not because he batted in the winning run in the World Series, not because he has sold a million records (although he had a nice voice).  No, my father was a great man because he raised three children to be good citizens.

He taught us that we could achieve anything if we worked hard enough.  He taught us that we were no better than anyone else, but no worse, either.  He taught the value of hard work and demanded that we be responsible and work for what we had.  He taught us that there are no handouts, that no one is going to pick you up when you fall down after he was gone, to be independent and not have to depend on others, and to love our children.

He was strict, but loving.  He wrestled with us in bed on Saturday mornings.  He played football with us in the yard.  He coached our sports teams.  He worked over 100 hours a week to ensure that we had all that we needed and sometimes what we wanted.  He taught us that losing a game wasn't the end of the world.  As long as we did our best that was all that he ever wanted.  He didn't care if we didn't get straight "A"s if we couldn't.  He only asked that we do all that we could.

He didn't allow to miss work unless we were really sick.  He taught to give 110% when we were at work.  He taught us that a job is a responsibility and the job that we did reflected on us.

He showed his children affection.  He was a massive man and was feared by many.  His size alone made people uneasy.  But, he was a Teddy Bear and hugged and kissed his children until the day that he died.  He didn't believe that a man couldn't kiss his son just because he was grown up.  He loved my brother as much the day he my father) died as he did the day that my brother was born.

He loved his grandchildren as if God himself had put them into his arms.  My twin daughters are adopted, but my father never saw that.  He just saw his Princesses.  When adoptions started being reversed and all of these children were being returned to their birthparents he decided that he and I would go to Canada if they ever came after our babies.

He taught us to stand up for ourselves and for what we believe in.  He taught us that were strong and that we could not be held down if we were willing to stand up for what is right.  I am still doing that today and it was this gift from him that keeps me going.

The day that my father died there were no flags lowered.  There was no national media coverage.  There was no national mourning.  It was just another day.  But, three people knew that the best man that God had ever put on Earth was gone and the world would never be the same without him.

I miss you, Daddy, and I love you with all of my heart.