Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, godfathers, foster fathers, and dads everywhere!

Of course, my Dad’s been a Dad for just over 30 years now and in that time he’s taught me a lot. So I thought I’d highlight it like I did for my Mom on Mother’s Day.

- Be true to your heart. My father’s loyal to a fault sometimes, but that’s who he is. He values what means something to him more than just about anyone I know. He loves being a firefighter and EMT and he loves being a 911 dispatcher. He feels good when he can help people with what he knows. No matter the disputes or the trouble some people might like to start - Dad’s always been loyal to the fire department and his job. And when the proverbial “doo doo” hits the fan, nothing else matters except the love and loyalty he has for his “brothers” and those they help.

- I owe my love of animals to my Dad. He was always the “it followed me home” type, and when I was little, so was I. My passion for animals, to watch them, study them, care for them… all came from my father. It’s nothing he “taught” intentionally - but rather something I absorbed from him while growing up. I’m grateful that he encouraged that in me… he saw it as a part of me - something that made me who I am - from the first time I brought home an orphaned baby bird at the age of 5. And he pushed me to make it a bigger part of my life - for that I will be eternally grateful, for my life is better for the love of animals.

- Whatever you want to do, do it. Growing up my father used to tell me, “I don’t care if you wanted to be a janitor, as long as it was 100% of your passion and you gave 110% to being the best janitor you could be.” Now by saying this, he meant no disrespect to janitors, but rather than trying to coax me into medical school or law school or what have you, what he was saying is that I needed to look deep inside and find what it was that I wanted to be more than anything, and then be that person. He didn’t care what it was, and he would support me all the way regardless, but only if he knew it was what I really wanted.

I learn from my father every day. I learn both good things and bad, and about the kind of person I want to be when I’m his age. Based on his successes and his mistakes, he probably doesn’t realize how much I appreciate all he has to offer me as a father to his daughter. I know the kind of man I want to marry, and I know how to change a tire myself. I know about being a loving, trusting, encouraging parent, and I know the difference between a 6-cylinder and a v8 engine. I know how to fish, and how to make great scrambled eggs. I know that when you’re angry and upset and frustrated, you need to let it out or it’ll eat you up. And I know that once you do, you need to get back to solving the issue at hand with a level head and a calm spirit.

Once again - to all the dads out there - Happy Father’s Day… Your kids appreciate you, whether you recognize it or not. ;)

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