First of all, I really appreciate and admire how hard of a worker my Dad is. After going through physical therapy school I have a new appreciation for how hard studying in the medical field can be and after working in the medical field with my internships I realize how demanding of a job it is as well. It is so amazing to me how my Dad goes to work everyday to provide for my family and rarely complains about how hard he's working or how many hours he spends there a week! My Dad has always lived by the principle "work hard, play hard" because once he's done working hard he is ready to "play" and have fun with his family and/or friends!
This leads me to my second point...my Dad always puts my family first. Never once have I felt like work has come over my family. A lot of people make the assumption that my Dad was never around growing up when they hear that he is a doctor but the truth is that my Dad was around a LOT. Not only did he never miss a single volleyball or tennis meet, but he actually made the drive down to middle-of-nowhere Missouri a lot of Tuesday afternoones for tennis meets at Truman. (it's a three hour drive both there and back just for a tennis meet and to take my teammates out to dinner afterwards) My Dad knows that the meaning of life is relationships and he shows that by the way that he lives his daily life. Never once have I questioned if he loves me or cares about me because he makes it so evident in the way that he lives. He daily calls me, emails me, texts me and is always encouraging and affirming me, even on his busiest of days! There were numerous calls throughout PT school where I would complain and announce that I was going to drop/fail out but he always would give words of encouragement and support. There were numerous phone calls were I would complain about my heart getting hurt and my Dad always would tell me to lean on my Heavenly Father and he would tell me how much he loves me. There were numerous tennis matches where I played like crap but my Dad didn't care he was always give me a hug afterwards regardless of the outcome. My dad has always been my number one cheerleader and I know he always will be.
The third thing I admire about my Dad is that he never settles for less than his best. He is constantly wanting to become a better man, a better father, a better surgeon, a better friend, a better spouse, a better mentor, etc. He is always wanting to excel in all areas of life. I have seen this very evident recently as I have seen him really intentionally grow in his faith which inspires me to do the same.
Fourth of all, my Dad LOVES adventure. For example, for his birthday weekend he is goinng mountain biking with a couple buddies in Utah. Another example is when he came out to visit me in North Carolina we went surfing and kiteboarding all weekend! Our trips have always been adventures- from backpacking trips to medical mission trips to third world countries. He is constantly wanting to live on the edge, take risks, and have adventures! I love his desire to live life to the fullest.
Fifth of all, I really admire how my Dad invests in everyone around him. Whether it is investing time and energy in my brothers and I, or if it is spending time with Iowa State football players that he mentors, my Dad is always investing, mentoring and helping the people around him. On my long roadtrip from NC to Colorado one billboard I saw said "Real men mentor." It was an advertisement for Big Brothers and Big Sisters but I thought it fit for my Dad because ever since I can remember he has always been mentoring younger men in his life- teaching them how to be better men, better husbands, and better dads.
Sixth, my Dad LOVES people. He loves asking questions and getting to know people. He loves hearing what they're all about and what they're passionate about. Anyone that knows my Dad has experienced how much he enjoys asking questions. The cool thing is he does this because he cares so much about people and he wants to know what makes people tick so he can better love them.
Seventh, my Dad loves my Mom so well. It is so neat to see the way that he loves and serves her. I could seriously talk for a while on this one so I'll have to address this point another time! ; )
Eighth, I really appreciate that my Dad is not afraid of showing his emotions. So many people (especially guys) are afraid to ever feel deeply and are afraid to use their words to express their feelings. I firmly believe that God has given us our emotions for a reason and they're there in order that we can fully experience and embrace this life on earth. Some of the most special memories I have shared with my dad involve some tears but that's what makes them so special. They were raw and vulnerable moments where deep emotions were felt and shared. I know that my Dad cares about me and loves me because that is evident through his emotions. So many men are disengaged from their feelings which causes them to be disengaged from their relationships but this is not the case for my Dad.
Ninth, my Dad has always loved the things and people that I love. When I started playing tennis he started playing tennis because he wanted to be able to share that part of my life with me.(and it unfortunately frustrates me now because he's way better than me and I hate losing, haha). But the coolest thing to see is the way that my Dad loves my friends. My Dad knows how much my friends mean to me so, therefore, they also mean a lot to him. I can't even begin to count how many of my friends he has taken out to dinner and we have shared many numerous "meal questions" pondering life and it's many questions over a meal together. It means so much to me that not only does my Dad want to get to know me and love me, but he also wants to get to know and to love the people that I know and love.
Last but not least, my Dad understands his purpose and meaning in life. He is so grounded in his faith in God and he realizes that nothing on this earth is going to satisfy him like his relationship with his Heavenly Father does. I have always been so encouraged and challenged by the way that he studies the Word of God and shares it with others, always telling the people in his life to seek the Lord first. I continually am learning from the way my Dad lives out his faith on a daily basis and I hope to one day love the Lord and serve the Lord with the same passion that he does.
Sometimes people tell me that I'm a lot like my father...I don't know if that's completely true or not but I sure hope that one day I can become half the person that he is and exhibit at least some of the characteristics that I have listed above. It has been so neat to see my brothers get older because I can see my dad's great character traits so evident in their lives as they grow up and become men of God themselves.
Happy Birthday to you Dad! We are so thankful for you and we love you so much!
Ninth, my Dad has always loved the things and people that I love. When I started playing tennis he started playing tennis because he wanted to be able to share that part of my life with me.(and it unfortunately frustrates me now because he's way better than me and I hate losing, haha). But the coolest thing to see is the way that my Dad loves my friends. My Dad knows how much my friends mean to me so, therefore, they also mean a lot to him. I can't even begin to count how many of my friends he has taken out to dinner and we have shared many numerous "meal questions" pondering life and it's many questions over a meal together. It means so much to me that not only does my Dad want to get to know me and love me, but he also wants to get to know and to love the people that I know and love.
Last but not least, my Dad understands his purpose and meaning in life. He is so grounded in his faith in God and he realizes that nothing on this earth is going to satisfy him like his relationship with his Heavenly Father does. I have always been so encouraged and challenged by the way that he studies the Word of God and shares it with others, always telling the people in his life to seek the Lord first. I continually am learning from the way my Dad lives out his faith on a daily basis and I hope to one day love the Lord and serve the Lord with the same passion that he does.
Sometimes people tell me that I'm a lot like my father...I don't know if that's completely true or not but I sure hope that one day I can become half the person that he is and exhibit at least some of the characteristics that I have listed above. It has been so neat to see my brothers get older because I can see my dad's great character traits so evident in their lives as they grow up and become men of God themselves.
Happy Birthday to you Dad! We are so thankful for you and we love you so much!
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