A good role model
Dad has gone to ride a 120 mile bike trip with Brett this week. As the trip approached I realized what a big deal that is for a 73 year old guy. It takes a lot of courage and stamina to do that. I sent him a card saying I hope that I can be doing things like that at his age.
Then I started to think about all the ways Dad has been a role model...he is generous, not just to his family, but to others who need or deserve the generosity. He did not make millions in his life time, but his humble way of putting out over eight books (no claim to fame)over a lifetime are inspirational because he wrote about what was important to him, while holding down a job that wasn't always the best place to be (even 3 jobs at one time).
His interest and concern about his grandchildren, even if he doesn't make every game, event, etc. in their seven lives, is genuine and real. They will always remember times like Grandpa dancing at the weddings (that their cousins so graciously invited them to), Grandpa having them over for pancakes, spending holidays with Gramps, the jokes about Gramps and the women, and of course, skinny johnson stories, the cruise and Grandpa at the waterpark in Virginia-going down a water slide for the first time in his life. Those memories will last a lifetime, as I hear them down the road when they get together saying, "Remember when Grandpa yelled all the way through the tube on the huge water slide."
His support, open door, patient ear and lending hand for his daughters is unending and overwhelmingly appreciated. For a man, he has an overwhelming sensitivity. The last Christmas present and maybe best, that he gave Tracey and I was a yule logs he had made himself out of a tree in his front yard that he had cut down. It was a tree that was there since he and mom bought the house. The letter he enclosed with that yulelog shared the love that our family of four was made of. That beats any item priced with a for sale sticker.
Yeah-old man, as I sometimes affectionately call you....if I wanted to be like anyone in my lifetime, it would be like my humble, gentle, giving, intelligent, inspirational, fun Dad.
Hope you had a good ride!!!
Then I started to think about all the ways Dad has been a role model...he is generous, not just to his family, but to others who need or deserve the generosity. He did not make millions in his life time, but his humble way of putting out over eight books (no claim to fame)over a lifetime are inspirational because he wrote about what was important to him, while holding down a job that wasn't always the best place to be (even 3 jobs at one time).
His interest and concern about his grandchildren, even if he doesn't make every game, event, etc. in their seven lives, is genuine and real. They will always remember times like Grandpa dancing at the weddings (that their cousins so graciously invited them to), Grandpa having them over for pancakes, spending holidays with Gramps, the jokes about Gramps and the women, and of course, skinny johnson stories, the cruise and Grandpa at the waterpark in Virginia-going down a water slide for the first time in his life. Those memories will last a lifetime, as I hear them down the road when they get together saying, "Remember when Grandpa yelled all the way through the tube on the huge water slide."
His support, open door, patient ear and lending hand for his daughters is unending and overwhelmingly appreciated. For a man, he has an overwhelming sensitivity. The last Christmas present and maybe best, that he gave Tracey and I was a yule logs he had made himself out of a tree in his front yard that he had cut down. It was a tree that was there since he and mom bought the house. The letter he enclosed with that yulelog shared the love that our family of four was made of. That beats any item priced with a for sale sticker.
Yeah-old man, as I sometimes affectionately call you....if I wanted to be like anyone in my lifetime, it would be like my humble, gentle, giving, intelligent, inspirational, fun Dad.
Hope you had a good ride!!!
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