David Charles Gaiewski. My father. One who has helped raise me, and one who has taught me how to be successful by letting me figure out things on my own and learn from my mistakes. Of course, he will be the first one to call me out for doing something stupid. And I of course know he does it for good reason. So, thank you, dad, for all you’ve done so far, and for all you will do.
Whether it was driving me to my friend’s house before I could drive myself, or editing a history paper, or even just giving me $20 because he thought I needed it for wherever I was going that night, my dad would always be there to help, even when I didn’t realize I needed it. That being said, if I would ask him for help, his usual response would be for me to try to figure something out by myself, and then if I still needed help, he’d step in. He also is known for letting me make my own mistakes and reflect on them, instead of giving me an idea on how to handle a situation I may be unsure of. And then if things don’t go well, he would still let me learn from the consequences that would follow. I’ve grown and learned a lot from my own experiences, and I’m thankful he let me do that.
My dad will, however, be the first person to call me out for screwing up and will always hold me accountable for my actions. Yes, I was a teenager, too. I mouthed off to my parents. My dad would usually then give me a look and sometimes ask, “Really?” in an are-you-kidding-me tone. I would shape up quickly. Or sometimes in Red Forman fashion, he would just say, “Stop being a dumbass,” and I would get the message. One of my favorite stories I have of him holding me accountable was when my mom was upset because I didn’t clean my room like she asked, and he just sent me a text message, “Go upstairs and get yelled at.” And I did. It wasn’t fun, but it’s still a great story.
Finally, there is never a dull moment when it comes to my dad. Ask my friend Emily, and she’ll say that my dad is such a character. He has many mannerisms, particularly turning every song lyric into something about wiener dogs, or joking, “Emily, if you ever felt like visiting again, you don’t have to bring Michael with you." These are just a couple examples, but it keeps me laughing and I thank my dad for that.
My dad has helped me get very far in life, and I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for me. So I know this article is a bit cliché, but for Father’s Day I thought I would write him something nice. And knowing him, I’m sure the first thing he will say when he reads this is, “Oh geez, you actually wrote that?”
Love you, Dad.
