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Lessons From a Father - 2018 Edition

Happy Father's Day to all of the amazing dads, daddies, fathers, and as Thomas says sometimes, "diddy" out there.  I hope that we all are planning something today to show our dads how much we love them and how much they mean to us (this includes your Grandpa, Uncle, Brother, or Mom is they were also your Dad too).  Go eat a meal with them, sit and talk a little while, buy them a gift or a card.  Just do something to let them know you're thinking about them and what they mean to you, especially today.

I don't know that my Dad and I talk more now than we used to, but it seems like it sometimes because I actually listen more.  I've learned that he really does know a good bit about work, family, business, and just life in general (unlike the way I thought I knew everything during my high school years).  So as part of my gift to him and others, here are a few things I've learned from my Dad.

1.  We make choices everyday - what to wear, what to eat, etc. but there are only three major choices that you need to get right in order to live a good and happy life.
First, choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  If you trust Him and lead a life based on biblical principles, you'll be headed in the right direction.
Second, marry a good wife/husband.  This is the person who will have the most impact on your life and you will be there to celebrate during the good times, and console and encourage you during the bad.  Get this right.
Third, find a career that you enjoy.  There are a million ways to make a dollar.  Find one that you love.  Work is about much more than money.

2.  "It won't matter in 100 years." - Curt.  He's said this to me so often that it has become ingrained in my mindset now.  I remember when I was younger being worried about silly things that in all actually had very little relevance and no lasting impact.  If it won't impact your eternity and isn't going to last that long anyway, don't let it stress you.

3.  Take pride in a job well done.  I'm not as skilled at construction type projects as I wish I was, but there are some manual work things that I can do - mow my own lawn, trim the shrubs, put mulch out, wash the car, pressure washing, or cleaning the pool.  Some of these are service industry type jobs that I could pay someone to do.  But there is a different sense of pride that you have in something when you can step back from it know the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it instead of just writing a check.

4.  Work hard, play hard.  At age 62, Dad has slowed down some.  I believe this is partly because of age, partly health, and partly just because he wants to and can.  If you don't know his history and haven't seen what all he's done leading up to this point, one could potentially view him as unconcerned or unmotivated.  But you've got to remember that he's worked nearly 50 years to get to where he is today.  He sacrificed not having the best cars, taking the most lavish vacations, or wearing the nicest clothes to save and be able to slow down later in life.  You didn't see him work 10 hour days Monday - Friday then coach me in baseball or work on the horse fences or do any other number of things he did AFTER being at work all day.  He's worked side jobs/businesses and made other investments as part of these efforts.  He's hustled for many years.
He's worked hard and NOW he can play hard.  Now he can buy the boats, leave work early, go in later, relax on the weekends instead of having to go make the sale so he can pay the bills.  He spent hours and years devoted to his business so he can now spend time devoted to his grandchildren (I think he likes my siblings and I but I know he loves his grands).

There's so much more I've learned and so much more I want to learn and always remember like how to cook, how to fish, how to garden, and so many little things that his generation just knows - things that you can't learn from the internet but by trying it, experiencing it, messing it up, and just playing in the dirt.  There is no material gift that I can give you to show you how much you mean to me.  What I can and will do, is do my best to be the son, husband, and father that you have been - to set the godly example for the next generation that you have done for all of us.  Happy Father's Day.

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