I’m 42 so I thought I’d write out 42 reasons - one for each year he’s been my dad -
why my dad is awesome.
(Maybe I should have done this when I was a bit younger!)
1.
He’s always up for a game of Rook.
2.
He’s always there for his kids.
3.
He’s able to talk me out of a panic with a good
dose of matter-of-fact logic.
4.
He’s a lifelong learner.
5.
He took me camping often when I was growing up.
6.
When I was a kid, he, my brother and I would sleep
out under the stars and he’d tell us all about the constellations.
7.
As a single dad, he took my brother and me to
live in France with him when we were 5 and 7.
8.
He taught me to love the ocean.
9.
He took me sailing. I still remember the sound of the waves splashing against
the boat from down below.
10. He’s
always up for a walk.
11. He’s
always up for a drive.
12. He’s
always up for an adventure.
13. He
taught me to love the outdoors.
14. He
can touch my heart with a guitar and some folk songs.
15. He’s
always accepted me.
16. When
I messed up as a kid, he let me know I had made a mistake – we all do.
17. He
showed me the world through travel.
18. He
took us on picnics at many state parks – because trying to get kids to sit
still in a restaurant just isn’t much fun.
19. He
owns lots of flashlights.
20. He
follows his dreams and passions.
21. He
loves to shop at Costco. He will
drive 20 miles, one way, to get a gallon of milk at Costco.
22. He
buys his grandkids office supplies as gifts. (This is way more awesome than it
sounds!)
23. He’s
never told me to not talk back. In
fact, he’s always encouraged me to find and use my voice.
24. He’s
super down to earth.
25. He
can explain to me, in great detail, why in the summer it is hotter at 4:00 PM
than it is at noon.
26. He
has the best sense of humor.
27. He
let me roam the woods on our farm when I was a little girl.
28. No
matter what a pet's name actually is, he will come up with his own nickname for
it.
29. He
is honest.
30. He
enrolled me in adult classes at the science center when I was ten.
31. He
treats kids with respect.
32. Little
kids don’t, and never will, annoy him.
33. He
never hit me.
34. He
let me say “no”.
35. He’s
always believed in me.
36. He
doesn’t take it personally when I forget his birthday.
37. He
texts.
38. He’s
73 and he’s on Facebook.
39. He
wears bicycle shorts…and looks pretty darn good in them.
40. He
loves his kids and grandkids.
41. He
puts oranges, peanuts and flashlights in Christmas stockings.
42. He
knows everything…just ask his kids.
