10 Things I've Learned from my Dad

In honor of Father’s Day, I wanted to take some time to share some of the lessons my Daddy has taught me over the years.  A man of wisdom, he never lacks in advice to dole out, and I thought it was time I shared some of his tidbits with you. 

(photo by Erin Blinn)

1.              He taught me how to dance.  Specifically, the pretzel.  More generally he taught me how to shake it to the rhythm.  He brings out the crazy in me on the dance floor.  I can’t bust a move without contributing the skills behind it to my dad. 

2.             He taught me how to do math.  Addition, subtraction, geometry, algebra, calculus, trig…Anything with numbers, I know because of him.

3.             Because of him, I have an appreciation for good music.  There is a significant portion of my iPod dedicated to “oldies but goodies” as I like to call them.  On any given day, I have been known to rock out to the Eagles or Elton John, then it’s time to bust out the dance moves (see number 1). 

4.             He challenges me to be brave when it comes to spicy food.  I have a hard time letting him win out when it comes to salsas, pepper jellies, or anything of the sort. 

5.              He has taught me there is always a solution.  I have been known to say on many an occasion, “my daddy can solve any problem.”  And I truly believe this is true.  I truly believe there is nothing he can’t do. 

6.             He has taught me sarcasm.  I’m fluent in the language because of him. 

7.              Because of my dad, I can embrace the silly.  I know it’s okay to randomly make up songs about Wal-Mart, dance a jig to a song from Harry Potter, be known as “Happy Thighs” on the dance floor.  When it comes to making a fool of myself, I really have no shame. 

8.             Work hard.  Nothing comes easily.  He is a shining example of doing all you need to do to provide for your family.  Working long hours, being deployed for long periods of time.  He puts his family first, and because of this I aspire to be just like him.

9.             Most recently my dad has reminded me how to dream.  He has taught me that you’re never too old; it’s never too late.  Sometimes it’s a risk, but anything worth having in life is worth working for.  And when you’ve been dreaming about something for as long as you can remember, it’s never a bad thing to chase after it. 

10.           He’s taught me what it means to be a man; what it means to care for a family.  I know what I want in life because of him.  I know what I deserve in life because of him.  He taught me the measure of a man, of a father, and now I will settle for nothing less than the high bar he has set. 

Happy Father's Day!

My updates are becoming more and more sluggish, but the time has come yet again for me to brief you on the ever-exciting goings on of my life. This weekend was a great one because I got to spend some quality time with my parents, who ventured to Birmingham to see little ole’ me.

It was a trip I had been looking forward to for awhile, and even the dull moments were full of the peace that can only settle over you when you are in the company of those who truly know and love you (even when you do quirky dance moves across the floor of the arctic hotel room). We entertained ourselves with food and movies and shopping and lounging. I showed them around town (since I am actually starting to know my way around town myself), and we even ventured out to a farmers market where we bought green tomatoes (to be fried, course) and blackberries the size of bouncy balls.

The best moments with my parents are the moments we spend dreaming. I don’t mean this in the literal, sleeping sense, but in the “making plans” sense. I love that they can be completely impractical with me as I indulge in the planning of the road that lies ahead of me. But the best thing about their impracticality is that they actually believe all the things I dream about are possible. As we sat on the patio of Carrabbas last night indulging in foods that shattered all of our diets, we hastily planned out a “post-graduation trip across the nation” (as I cleverly coined it). It has been in my head for quite some time now that I want to see the West coast, from the Grand Canyon all the way up to Crater Lake. My parents and I had tossed around the idea for a while, but last night we really got down to talking about it. Again, they surprised me with their willingness to help me achieve even my most impractical of dreams. We will see where that road takes us (both literally and figuratively).

But all this dreaming and achieving and believing leads me to the real point of today: Fathers. More specifically, my Father. I love that he believes in me and is so willing to help me achieve all the dreams that I have the audacity to dream. He follows the “tough love” philosophy, but underneath it all he is a big softy, a silly man to the core. He is the one who can often be found making up the next verse in my impromptu songs about our puppies or looking slightly bewildered to discover that according to Cracker Barrel I am “Purty Smart” (at least that was the occasion today). As we indulged in our delicious display of Southern cooking I picked out the pieces of my dad that I recognize in myself. There are so few on the outside (our chins are about the only physical feature we share), but our personalities are mirrors at times. Today as we engaged in a competitive game of checkers or yesterday as we laughed at the same jokes, I appreciated my stubbornness and silliness for what they are: reflections of my father shining through me.

So Happy Father’s Day, Daddy! Every time I make a sarcastic remark or do a silly dance, I am reminded of you and how wonderful you are in every possible way!