Father's Day

Since it's Father's Day, I thought I'd take a moment to say a few words about my dad.  As I've mentioned before on this blog, I know I'm pretty darn lucky to have such a wonderful family.  My mom and dad both are a source of great inspiration and support for me.

So, what are some of the most memorable things about my dad from childhood?  Well, of course, there was the environmental aspect.  I remember when I was in early elementary school, I could lose part of my allowance for leaving lights on when I wasn't in a room or forgetting to turn off the faucet.  And obviously, there was the biking and walking everywhere.  Not many people my age can truthfully pull the "back in my day, I walked two miles to school, in the dead of winter" routine, but I sure can.  All of this, though, stemmed from my dad's real commitment to doing his part to help protect the environment.  He didn't make us bike to our friends' homes while he drove everywhere.  Whether it was to tennis, church, or work, he was often on his bike as well, pant leg tucked safely into his sock to keep it from getting caught in the chain.

I also have fond memories of taking the bus downtown with him and my brother during the holidays to go buy Christmas presents for my mom, or just the two of us going to a Gopher's basketball game. While I didn't perhaps take to tennis as much as he would have hoped, I did (and still do) enjoy playing catch with him.  More recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Israel with him, and that was a fantastic experience.  This past week, it was also fun to find myself back in the car with him, heading to Hudson for horseback riding lessons - only now, he was the one taking lessons, and I had children of my own in the backseat.

One other thing I've always admired about my dad is his commitment to fairness and looking out for others. When he left the paper, his coworkers gave him one of those big picture posters that they had signed.  I remember one of the comments was something along the lines of "thanks for standing up for us." Not only did that make me really proud, it inspired me as well.  I'm not always able to do it myself, but when I see someone being treated poorly or unfairly, I ask myself what dad would say/do and then try to act accordingly. (Though sometimes perhaps bringing more of my mother's diplomacy and peacemaking skills to the task.)

It should be no surprise that one of the greatest compliments I can get from people who know my family is to be told how much I'm like parents.  I'm very grateful for the time my kids get to spend with them.  And of course, when it's time to go to the park or get ice cream, Ronan doesn't get in the car - he gets in the wagon, ready for a walk with Grandpa.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.