Like many of us, I have been thinking about my Dad this week as Father’s Day approaches. I was one of the lucky kids who had a great dad, so I thought I would share a few things my dad taught me.

My dad taught me the value of stability. When my dad was a kid, his dad worked construction jobs which meant they moved from job to job. My dad rarely was at a school for more than a year at a time. While I think he learned some valuable lessons from that lifestyle (like how to make friends and talk to anyone), he never wanted that for his kids. My parents bought a house in Duvall, Washington when my older brother was a baby. It was the only house I ever lived in until I went away to college. When they sold it to move to Arizona last year, they had 56 years of “collections” to sort through. (I won’t mention that my brother and I nicknamed dad “Colonel Junk” while cleaning out the garage. And obviously, I learned everything I needed to know about humor from my dad!)

Along with stability, I learned the value of hard work from my dad. He retired from his job with the City of Seattle after 41 years. He was the Headworks Foreman at the Tolt Dam, which supplied a large portion of the drinking water in the Seattle area. My “Dad’s water” tasted better than any other. Since we didn’t swear, drink, or smoke in our home, I always thought it was funny to make jokes about my dad’s “dam job.” My junior and senior high school was downstream from the dam so we had occasional dam evacuation drills. My participation was somewhat begrudging and smug, convinced that nothing would happen to the dam on my dad’s watch!

When my dad was 18, he was out in the sand dunes of Moses Lake, Washington, doing something with chemicals that blew up in his hands. My uncles were the first heroes of the story, keeping him alive while getting him to the hospital. He was then airlifted to a hospital in Spokane for amputation of both hands, where the second hero entered the story. A young doctor decided to take a long shot and try to save his hands rather than amputate them. His actions paid off, and my dad still has both of his hands. I wish I could thank that doctor! However, the true hero of the story is my dad. He never allowed titles like “disabled” or “handicapped” stick to him. He worked as if his hands were like anyone else’s, but they weren’t. The lack of feeling and mobility certainly could have been an excuse not to work hard, but he never complained. (I also learned not to do anything stupid with chemicals, but I probably shouldn’t say “stupid” in a post honoring my dad!)

The value of serving in the church and community was instilled in me by my dad. For over 25 years, he was a volunteer first responder and firefighter for King County District 45, which served the city of Duvall. He also volunteered at our church as an audio technician. Both of these positions required special training, a commitment of time, and the ability to handle situations with calmness and poise.

While serving and working, my dad learned a lot about many things. Anyone in my family will tell you that you can hear stories about jet engines, coils, ham radios, electricity, stars and galaxies, construction machines, cars, or random tools at any time. (And they are all laughing in agreement right now!) He is probably one of the smartest people I know, but he is also one of the humblest people I know. He will share the information in a way that is not meant to make him seem smarter than everyone in the room; it is quite the opposite. He makes everyone else feel like the smartest in the room, never taking credit for what he knows or has done. I admire that he can talk to anyone about anything; I did not get that extroverted ability from him.

As a teenage girl, I wanted my ears pierced, but my dad’s reply was always, “If you were meant to have holes in your ears, you’d be born with them.” Finally, when I was 16, he relented and let me get my ears pierced. After many years of searching for an earring that didn’t irritate my ears and cause infections, I let the holes close back up. Who knew that he was right all along?! I suppose it would be the same with the tattoo I want to get. I probably should consider that the ink would cause skin irritations and infections and just abandon the notion altogether!

Even though he was busy, he always made time for us. Trips to the swimming pool, camping trips, star gazing, and random drives were the norm, but my favorite time of the day was “party time.” Every night before bed, we had a party. Whatever the snack, it was always a party! I continue to have a party every night to this day! Such a fun tradition.

I know that many of you had difficult relationships with your dads or didn’t know your dad. I’m sorry that you missed out on that aspect of your childhood. And I know that relating to God as our “Heavenly Father” isn’t easy for some of you. Regardless of how good or bad our earthly fathers are, none compare to our Father God. He is the only perfect Father. My prayer for you today is that you can celebrate Father’s Day this year because we have a good Father in Heaven who loves you more than your earthly father ever can.

Oh, and one more thing. I learned a cheesy grin and the word “Daddy” could melt his heart and get just about anything I wanted.

I love you, Dad. Thanks for being a great dad. And I love you, Father God. You have blessed me beyond words and I am grateful.