Happy Father's Day!

Last week I said I would write several posts about the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. But I should have checked the calendar because this Sunday is Father's Day. So instead, I wanted to share some thoughts about my dad and this very special day. I'll pick back up next week on The Compound Effect. Let me start by saying I know how fortunate I am to have had the father I've had. I know not every kid is blessed with a father they can respect, admire, and look up to. And that's pretty sad because every kid deserves that. The world would be much better if every father were like that. My parents married in 1955, and I was one of six children. My mother was a stay-at-home mom with six kids. How could she not be? My dad got up and went to work every morning like clockwork. This was the first lesson he taught me, that a father is responsible for his family's welfare and ensuring a roof over their head and food on the table. I don't recall him ever missing a day of work. I get my work ethic from him. My father taught me sacrifice. All six of us kids attended Catholic grade schools and high schools. Four of us graduated from Regis University, a Jesuit college, the same as my dad. Until I was a senior in high school, he kept books for a sporting goods company on the weekends to supplement his income. I don't recall my parents ever taking a week's vacation by themselves until their 25th wedding anniversary, in 1980. That's something most newly married couples today would find blasphemous. I caused my parents a lot of grief growing up. I found school boring, and it drove my parents crazy that my grades were so poor. In high school, my friends and I got in quite a bit of trouble, sometimes involving the police. I don't want to get into all the details, but I know I disappointed my dad many times. But he never stopped having my back and supporting me. When I was 17, I thought my dad didn't know anything, and by the time I was 25 and married with kids of my own, he had become a genius. At 17, I didn't agree with anything he said, but as an adult, I recognized that he was the best friend I've ever had because he never cared about anything except what was best for me. Whenever I faced a challenge, he was always my "go-to." My dad's 89 years old now. He's losing his eyesight, his hearing is bad, and his memory certainly isn't what it used to be. I'm helping him with all of his finances, and to be honest, he does many things that frustrate me. Which, in retrospect, is funny given how much I must have frustrated him. But this Father's Day, I'm reminded that it's my turn to have his back now. And what an honor and blessing it is to be in a position to do just that for him. So much of who I am is because of the example he set. I hope I am living up to those standards. I'm not sure how many years my dad has left, but I'll do everything I can to honor the sacrifices he made for me. It is my wish that everyone reading this has the same kind of experience with their father. Happy Father's Day!

Quote of the week:

“Average fathers have patience. Good fathers have more patience. Great fathers have an ocean of patience.”

Reed Markham