Balloon 10

Thank-you, Lord, for my daddy.

My daddy is the best daddy in the world. 

I was born the day after Easter, 1973.  My dad was a high school math teacher at the time.  I am told all of his students would tease him that the Easter Bunny brought me.  A few years later he would take me to class with him to "teach" his students the shapes in geometry class.

Dad taught me how to work hard.  For a time he was a door to door insurance salesman.  I remember rubbing the bottom of his feet for luck some mornings before he went out.  It was hard work, but he was good at it; good enough to be able to provide everything we needed. 

One day as a kid, dad had sinus surgery.  I didn't intend for what I said to be funny, and it really wasn't a funny statement.  Of course, because it hurt to laugh, it was the funniest thing my dad had ever heard.  Dispite the pain, he couldn't stop laughing.  We still laugh at that statement today. 

Dad taught me sports, especially football.  I remember playing high school football and looking up into the stands.  All of the fans would be cheering except dad.  He would be standing on the top bleacher with his arms folded absorbing the game.  After my first varsity game my freshman year dad gave me a simple piece of advice that stuck with me the rest of my football career.  He told me he knew every time the play was to be a pass.  Apparently I had developed a habit of licking my fingers as I approached the line on a pass play.  After that conversation, I licked my fingers before every play.  A little gross, but I didn't give the play away.  My dad knows football.  Well, except for the fact that he is a Bears fan. 

The most important lesson my dad taught me was to take responsibility for my actions.  My junior year, after a football game, some friends and I had decided to get some alcohol and go camping.  We got caught.  When we went before the Good Conduct Panel at school, all of the other kids parents pleaded for mercy for their kids arguing that we were kids and just made a mistake.  Not dad.  When the panel asked what dad what he thought he simply said "throw the book at 'em".  I didn't like his answer even though I knew he was right.

My dad is a great dad.  I hope to be half the dad he is.  If there were more men in this world like my dad it would be a much better place.

Thank-you, Lord, for my daddy.