My Dad

I was kind of at a loss as to what I was going to write about today. I'm in a pretty good mood, got a couple nice messages this weekend, and haven't had to work. If everything's going well, I don't have much to talk about! Then, my father called, and we had a nice long talk. He deserves his own post, so here's to you, Dad (although he'll never read it.)

I have what I consider a pretty special relationship with my father. If you look at pictures of us, there's no denying that I look like him. I also inherited a lot of his traits, both good and bad. He taught me to think about things, and usually over-think them. We're both the same height, so I have him to thank for me never being able to dunk a basketball. He had ulcerative colitis, as do I. He taught me that it's important to always be responsible, even when you don't want to be. If I'm half as good a father as he was, I'll consider myself a success. That's not to say he was perfect. He's made mistakes. But another thing he taught me was to admit to them, and do what you can to fix them.

My dad worked for Delphi (then Delco Products) as a model maker. He always worked a lot, so he wasn't around much. When he was around, he was usually taking care of my brother, who got into enough trouble for both of us. That's not to say that I didn't get to spend quality time with him. Some of my favorite memories are wrestling around with him, going fishing, going shooting, playing the Atari. When my parents divorced, I was 7. There was never really any question about who we were going to live with. My dad was going to keep us, and get full custody. Of course, this was fine with my mother (she'll get her own post eventually...probably a few of them. She's 'special'.) But my dad did what he thought was best for us, even if it wasn't easy.

Like I said, my dad didn't give me a whole lot of attention...he really didn't need to. I got good grades, stayed (mostly) out of trouble, and he had his hands full. But he went to every T-ball and baseball game, and when I started wrestling, he almost never missed a match. He'd take off work and travel to the away tournaments. When I went to Districts as a sophomore, I was so happy that I was almost in tears...so was he. He always supported me, congratulating me for wins and consoling me for losses. And there was a lot of 'us' time between matches...that was some of my favorite parts of the whole thing.

One of the most important things he did for me was to teach me to make decisions. He was always there for me to lean on and ask advice of, but the decisions were mine. When I'd bring dates home, I'd ask him what he thought, and he was honest...and usually right. When I found out that we were going to have a baby, I was in shock. He was the first person I called, and he calmed me down. When we decided to get a divorce, I called him, and he told me that my life would go on. He still gets on my ass when he thinks I need it (and sometimes I do.) But he lets me make my decisions, and he supports me. That's what I want to pass on to my son.

My dad was the biggest influence on who I turned out to be. Any good qualities I have, I learned from him. He has to take some of the blame for a few of the bad ones, too...only fair. My dad was never perfect...but he is perfect for me. Love you Dad. See you soon.