I had a good dad. He may have not had a high school diploma but he was smart. He didn’t play sports but he loved athletics. He didn’t read books but he could read a blueprint. He was a self-made man, forced to leave school early, work and help out his family. He learned a trade and he stuck with it most of his life. And he never really backed down from a challenge. I respect that. He loved his family, his kids, me. I never doubted that for a minute. He punished me, sometimes with a belt, but I never saw him angry when he did. He taught me things; lots of things. One of those things came in handy just yesterday. My dad was a fine electrician and he used to take me with him on jobs. Mostly, I did a lot of the grunt work but I picked up so much along the way. Like the simple technique of how to change a light switch on your wall. Unfortunately I’m currently doing a job 7 hours from home so I had to walk my wife Carolyn through the process over the phone. And as she texted me pictures of her progress as we talked on the phone, I thought of my dad. He taught me that and so much more. Most importantly he taught me unconditional love. Really he did. My dad’s brother fought a battle with alcoholism all his life. And when so many others turned my uncle away, dad didn’t. He wasn’t soft on him but he loved him. I talked to my uncle before he died and he said, “I never doubted your dad loved me, even though I didn’t think I deserved it.” That was my dad. I remember one time when I was in my late 20’s I was wound up tighter than a swiss watch. We were in Canada on our family fishing trip and we were in the boat. I couldn’t relax, kept talking about problems at work, and other issues and dad had enough. He looked at me and said, “You have to relax! Look where we are! All life’s problems will be there when you get back but for now you have let them go.” And he was right.

I never think of my dad without a smile coming to my face and that’s a good thing. Miss you pop. Happy Father’s Day.