Sunday is about the first man I ever loved and the best man I will ever know, my daddy.
A whole day to celebrate dads. It’s something I never appreciated enough growing up, I scribbled out a card, threw something together and sent it off to the hands of my father, who I knew would love it even if it were a pile of rocks.
Aren’t dads truly the best? I can’t think of a person that has done more for me in my life than my own father, Stacy. My dad used to make jokes that I was his first-born son, as he coached every t-ball or softball team I played on over the years and stood court-side/on the sidelines at all of my basketball and football games.
If you know my dad, you know I could hear EVERY single word of encouragement that he shouted. The man has had a long reputation of being one of, if not the loudest person in any sporting venue at any given time.
I wonder if that’s where I get it…
My daddy also hooked me on my love for music, specifically live music. He took my to my first concert on my 10th birthday. I was sitting in the front row and Joe Diffie stopped the show to sing me happy birthday. I knew from that moment on that I would never feel a greater thrill. I saw hundreds of shows prior to graduating high school and continued on through college. Ultimately, he still pushes me to record music of my own and maybe someday I will. He’s the person who taught me that no dream is unobtainable and no desire is unreachable.
Without him, I would not be a journalist. With our mutual passion for sports, I often played co-host and acted as a sports personality on his sports broadcasting website, marshfieldwebtv.com. It’s here that I first began to cultivate a love for the craft of accurate record-keeping and storytelling. After a decade of practice, my first gig on the radio was a breeze. I think I had a pretty great teacher leading up to that moment.
However, I haven’t always been the simplest student to teach. I smile every time I think back to the days he tried to teach me how to drive. He wasn’t the most patient teacher when it came to that – LOL.
Those moments were comical.
I didn’t even go on to get my license until I was 18, about to head off to Springfield for college. But what can I say, you can’t be good at everything.
I recall a few summers ago my daddy was teaching me how to change a tire and was sure to let me know that it was just in case he died and I “still didn’t have a man to take care of me.”
Dads really are the best… they’re our biggest fans, toughest critics, they care the most about our futures and well-being and they’re our most loyal friends.
Fathers Day is all about those little things… recognizing and honoring the subtle sacrifices our dads make on a daily basis all for the betterment of their children and families.
My father has 5 kids, the youngest (twins) of which he is still raising. Never once has he complained or let us know if times ever got rough.
As kids, all we ever knew was love. I often look back at my childhood and realize that he didn't HAVE to be at every football, softball, basketball game I played. I don't know how it was humanly possible to be at every thing for every kid… But he was.
He was at every choir or band recital, induction ceremony, FFA banquet, musical and play I had. If I was on stage or in the field, he was smiling (or yelling) in the crowd and bringing me flowers afterwards.
I can’t wait to celebrate my dad this weekend. After all, I do have the best one.
