Yes Father's Day has happened, but why should we thank our fathers and fatherly figures on a single day? They do something every single day and are worth so much more than a single day for saying thank you. I'm taking the extra time, that is well deserved, to appreciate my father in this article and to write down everything that I could never find the words to say in person. I'm sure multiple boys and girls can relate to who I'm about to describe, as well as to many of the experiences that my Dad and I have shared.
Lets see, the earliest memory I have with my Dad is when he taught my sister and I to ride a bike. At the time we started on the hill in front of our yard and hung on for dear life as we flew across the front yard, not yet understanding the concept of braking prior to reaching the gravel driveway. This was a scarring experience for me, literally, I had bruises and scratches on my legs for weeks after that.
Flash forward to one of the many times I threw, and for a little while pitched, to my Dad in the front yard. I don't know how many times I would sail a ball over his head and then have to go fetch the ball. Each time, I would turn around and brace myself for the criticism that was awaiting me. And yes, we can't forget to mention that one time that I was hit in the forehead by a softball and looked like an alien from another dimension. We won't talk about that anymore though, that was very embarrassing on my behalf.
This is the same man that drove me out to Oklahoma for a softball camp. Little did we know at the time, of the valuable lessons that would carry me so much further down the road with softball and personally with discovering a new drive and passion to become better. This is also the man that drove me to nearly every single travel ball tournament and practice I've been part of since I was 9 years old. Believe me, that's a lot of traveling packed into ten years.
He is incredible and has supported me through every single injury I've suffered. This man will, after working seven days a week and at lest twelve hours each day, come home and pitch to me in the cage, or fix yet another thing that has gone wrong with my car or any other car in the family. And he is constantly finding new things to repair around the house that consistently appear when we don't have time to deal with one more thing.
He has laid everything out on the line throughout his entire life. He served in the army, and then decided to come home and started a family of his own. He grew up knowing what he wanted and he was very stubborn about every single thing he approached in life from the stories he's told my sister and I. Losing a couple of fingers never stopped him from doing anything. He keeps pushing on and lives every day to the fullest.
He's inspirational and funny, but he can turn around in the blink of an eye and place the fear of God into an individual. I wouldn't trade a single memory with him, and I'm beyond grateful to have him as my Dad. He approaches everything with an unreal sense of competition that he must win. As kids he never went easy on us, he would always say, "Why should I go easy on you? The world isn't going to do that." It was this kind of tough love that taught my sister and I so much. This man is a huge teddy bear and is a child at heart when it comes to rough housing with children or dogs.
The most valuable lesson that I've learned from him, that I will carry with me for the rest of my life is a common lesson that many people have heard, but it never sunk in until I heard it from my Dad. To never give up and to never give in. If life throws something difficult or challenging at you, you figure out a way to solve the problem and become better because of the lesson learned. This is applicable to every area of my life, from being a Christian to being a collegiate athlete. I wouldn't be the person I am today, and I definitely wouldn't have made it as far as I have without him being in my life.
