To Dad

Let me start off by saying that I realize how blessed I am to have the father I have. I know that there are people out there that haven’t been blessed to have as great a father as I do, or maybe to even have a father figure present in their lives. I am however blessed to have parents who after 42 years of marriage are still madly in love with each other. I am blessed to have a father that loves and adores his wife, his family and his God. He is a dedicated human being not only to his family and the people around him but in everything he does. Of course, I am biased.
My dad has taught me a plethora of things. He has a love of nature and of the things that God has created and taught me to love it the same. He always had a wild flower book with him whenever we went on rides in the forest of Northern Arizona in his clunky 1979 Dodge truck to look for “flat rocks” for the landscape in the front yard. Any time he’d see an Indian Paint Brush or Lupine he’d stop and say “Look at that! Isn’t that beautiful?” with the excitement of a child. He also is very familiar with the Latin names of several plant species and randomly names a tree or a bush or flower in Latin instead of its “common” name. He’d built a pond in our back yard with a small waterfall that had large rocks placed around it and with gold fish in it. For a moment of peace and quiet he’d often go and sit on the big rock and just watch. He loved to hear the trickling water and have that quiet time to himself. He was often accompanied by either a cup of Rocky Road ice cream or bread, honey and milk.
I have tons of fond memories of times with my dad camping, like one time going to the top of Sunset Crater; just me, my older sister and him. We popped up our little tent and I remember listening to the wind blow through the Aspen trees softly as I tried to fall asleep. I was pretty scared at first, but then instantly felt safe when I remembered my daddy was sleeping next to me. In the morning he would make us a great breakfast. We’d often explore in the woods… I believe it gave him inspiration for his landscaping.
When it would snow like crazy and the roads would get icy, he’d tie a saucer sled to the back of the car for me, as I am the youngest and was the littlest, and would have my brothers and sister get in their snowsuits and hang on to the back bumper of the car while he SLOWLY drove down our street pulling us. I still remember laughing our heads off partly because we were having so much fun and partly because we were a little nervous too!
When I was much younger, he’d cut my hair for me. One evening I remember him cutting my bangs while we were sitting in the family room watching TV. He was sitting on the couch and I sat in front of him on our little blue wood stool while he cut away. My sister who was also on the couch was making me laugh, and my dad too, which while cutting someone’s hair isn’t a good thing to do! I ended up with the shortest quarter inch bangs I had ever and have ever had in my life. I didn’t allow my dad to cut my hair after that!
I remember cooking a lot with my dad too. My mom taught piano lessons to kids who could only come after school- so my dad and I were in charge of making dinner. We’d always find new ways of cooking things or new things to cook. Like doughnuts and cookies and other concoctions. He always had “creative” ideas on how to cook things- like his famed “Pink Chicken” that we all still talk about!
He taught our early seminary church class that was held for the high school students in our Church at our house every morning for three out of the four years I was in high school. He’d prepare, and study and cook breakfast occasionally and dedicated himself to the kids in the class. I remember countless nights that he would stay up way later than anyone else making sure that he had a good lesson prepared to share and that it brought the right feeling and spirit into the class. He cared so much about those kids. He would even take each student and their families his famous homemade fudge every Christmas and a kind note about the student.
He’s a very tender man, although I don’t think he’d be happy I was sharing that secret with the world. But I love that about my dad. He can cry during a sentimental commercial. He cries during sentimental moments in movies or TV shows. He loves good classical music, and if it moves him enough you can see him sitting listening intently with his eyes closed and a soft smile on his face and a little tear rolling down his cheek. Most recently, having my dad cry as he walked me down the aisle to my new husband-to-be on my wedding day, I’m pretty sure he cried more than I did! We had a moment in the kitchen before hand (where we had to wait so that my husband couldn’t see me) making faces at each other and telling funny stories to get us to not be too blubbery the whole time. He makes me laugh and smile and feel so good about the decisions I make in my life.
He has taught me how to love; how to love his spouse, his family, and his fellow beings. I love the way he looks at my mother, and loves her so much. I love that he would do ANYTHING for her and that he still finds her desirable after all these years. He’s taught and teaches me about Heavenly Father and His love for us. He teaches me to be a better person and to be humble because he is that way. He teaches me patience and faith. He teaches me kindness. He teaches me how to laugh and deal with trials. He teaches me to be honest and fair with my dealings with my fellowmen. He teaches me unconditional love. He is one of my greatest examples of what a good human being should be.
Overall, I don’t know what I would’ve ended up like with out my dad in my life. Frankly, I don’t want to think of that. The importance of him in my life is one that I cannot put into words. I feel privileged to have come to a family with such an honorable good man as the head of our family. I love my dad with all my heart.


I got this idea from a blog comment that Sara had from a gentlemen writing a book about Fathers and their Daughters and thought I'd write something nice about my dad to share. I decided to add it to my blog/journal as well. http://www.gregoryelang.com/