Learning from my Four Fathers
Four Fathers
I get a haunting pit in my stomach now when Father’s Day approaches. Don’t get me wrong, I love the holiday, but working at a mortuary puts a twist on how you see special days like these. Every phone call has the potential to be a child/spouse letting us know that their father/husband has passed on. Or worse yet, a father is calling to inquire about how he should go about honoring his lost child. It’s a day I would rather not work but it does remind me how blessed I am to still have my dad around.
Today I want to honor the four father figures in my life by acknowledging a singular trait that I most admire in each of them.
Perhaps you will feel inspired to consider the lessons your father figures have taught you.
Sacrifice: A father makes sacrifices for their family. My own father is a perfect example. I cant tell you how many miles he has driven, or how many hours of overtime he has worked, to make sure us kids were always comfortable. The amazing thing about my dad is that he did all of this while still being active in our lives. There have been times where my dad has gone more than 24 hours without sleep, yet I still knew if I turned and looked behind the backstop at my little league game, I would see him watching and I could hear his voice cheering me on. I was ignorant of the sacrifice growing up, but now that I’m older and have begun making sacrifices for my loved ones, my appreciation has grown ten-fold for my “old man”.
A father makes sacrifices for their family.
Wisdom: A father will always share his wisdom. My stepfather is the wisest man I have ever met. The lessons he has learned in life have always been shared with me so that I could learn from them, and perhaps avoid making the same mistake. When I get into situation where I have a hard time making a decision, his voice and reason echo in my head, and help me to the right path. This is a gift I cannot give back, but I can surely pass it on, and for that I am most grateful.
A father will always share his wisdom.
Patience: A father is patient. This one is the most difficult. My uncle, Terry, is a very, VERY, patient man. He has this amazing ability to actually sit and think hard on what he is going to say or decide before he actually does it. The result? A soft tone when he disciplines his children, and an undeniable trust from his superiors. His children know that their father is not quick to judge them of harshly discipline them, and his bosses know they can trust him to take his time and make the right decision in any situation. I have yet to meet someone with the quiet strength of my uncle.
A father is patient.
Humor: A father is never too serious. My uncle Roy is the funniest person in my family. He is serious when need be, but he believes that this world is a funny place and it should be laughed at. It’s amazing to watch his children’s eyes light up as he re-tells a story, or watch his wife burst into laughter as he whispers something in her ear. All of this, for the sake of a punch line. My uncle Roy is a very successful man, and I think much of that success is from his decision to never take life, or himself, too seriously.
A father is never too serious.
I am truly lucky to say I have these prolific men in my life. There is always someone there to make time for me, someone to give me wisdom, someone to be patient with my mistakes, and someone always willing to make me smile.
Dad, Kev, Terry and Roy, I love you. Happy Father’s Day.
|| what do you think?
Who are you celebrating this Father’s Day?
What lessons have your father-figures taught you?
44 Comments
My father died about 2 years ago and I’ll always embrace the lesson of gratitude for the experiences we had as a family.
Oh wow Tom. Im sorry I didn’t know that. I’m glad that you have made that embrace and cherish those precious memories.
Michael,
I will honestly admit to you that it took me awhile to respond to your blog. Knowing that it was related to Father’s Day made me stay clear for a few days. As you can imagine, Father’s Day has been my least favorite holiday for forty years. There is typically a dark cloud that hovers over this day for me.
This morning I decided it was time to give your post the attention and response it deserves. I am pleasantly surprised that it did not make me one bit sad. It made me happy for you that you have these four positive influences in your life. It also made me realize I need to work on being more like Terry and Roy – patient and less serious, at times, about life…
I hope all four of these men have had the opportunity to read your post.
Nicely written and thank you for starting this Father’s Day for me with a feeling of gratitude for the positive male figures I DO have in my life…….
Great job!
Lori
When I think about it, Lori, I would have done the same. I probably would have treated it as one of those “Sorry, I never got around to it..” kind of things. I take absolutely NO offense.
Patience is something I am going to constantly be working on. I find its more of a situational thing for me, rather than a daily practice. Lets work on that together
Sounds good to me!!
Beautifully written blog Michael! I enjoyed reading about the four father figures in your life. This blog made me think a lot about my dad and all he has done for me and my sisters/nephew. You are definitely right in saying that when you are young you can easily take all the sacrifices done by your parents for granted. Reading your blog made me realize that there is so much my dad has done for my well being. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Stacy! I’m glad your dad has been such a positive influence in your life. The things we learn from them repeat themselves through us, which is awesome! i’m guessing your dad is a hard worker and has good taste in music
Michael, great blog. You are indeed blessed to have 4 great male figures in your life. They must be upstanding and solid in their convictions. Every family needs these role models to pass down the way boys/men should behave. Now pass it down another generation. great job.
Will do, Sir! You seem to be the patient type. You’re awfully lucky.
Michael,
What a great blog, as always. I really have enjoyed each and every blog you write but really enjoyed learning about the four father figures you have in your life. This Father’s Day as usual I will be celebrating my dad. Who has done and will do everything for his family and his kids. Growing up whatever my sister and I wanted to do we did no matter what. This even went on when I started horseback riding and in the end wanting my own horse to train. Even though lessons, shows,then buying a horse and just paying the up keep was extremely expensive my dad never hesitated, him and my mom knew it was something I loved and they loved watching me smile. Once owning a horse this meant after my dads sometimes 12 hours or longer days at work when he came home we ate dinner as a family and then all went to the stables, my parents watched me ride and cleaned the stall. No matter what he made my dream of succeeding in Dressage and training my horse possible. Now as I got older I realized how much it really was and slowly took on some financial responsibilities but still nothing compared to theirs. Even at my wedding and still today my dad and I share the great stories and memories of our days, nights at the stables and our relationship is so strong and special because of it. I thank my dad everyday for what he has done for me and know I always have him by my side when I need him.
Thanks for sharing
Shayna
What a cool connection with your dad. My dad and I always have our best conversations when we put on our gloves and go play catch. I know that this, like your stable talks, will always be remembered and cherished by me forever.