Last night, we attended a function that celebrated fathers in Beaver County. All sorts of fathers were honored and recognized, including my husband. As I listened to the nominations, most of which were written by their children, I started thinking about my dad and what I would have written. So, here it is:My father is an amazing man who embodies the meaning of sacrificial love.
He is a man who has always worked hard. When I was growing up, he worked two physically taxing jobs and built the house that we lived in. When we would tease about him being a workaholic, my mother was always quick to correct that he did it because he loved us. That home was built by love.
He has been a single father twice in his life, and worked hard to expand the meals he cooked beyond Dinty Moore Beef Stew.I greatly appreciate that effort, even though I always knew it would be rotini with meat sauce every Tuesday night. Those meals were made with love.
The night I called him with my deepest fear about myself, he said, "Di, even if that were true, you would still be loved and welcomed here." That's the thing. He loves Jesus, and the way he loves other people comes from that.
And he did it all while laughing and teasing. I will never forget the jokes that he told, the songs that he sang, the teasing I got because of my clumsiness, or the night he hid in my closet and pretended to be a ghost. I didn't sleep for a week! He has an unforgettable laugh--loud and full and quick (I got that laugh, along with my nose, from him).
Lots of people and events have shaped who I am today, but I am happy and proud that he has been one of the strongest influences on my life.
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