Father's Day Tribute

I am admittedly a mama's boy. I always have been and I most likely always will be. If I ever have a problem or a question she is one of the first people that I call, although things have changed since I've been married, I now go to my beautiful wife first, my mom is still high on the list. All of that is probably due to the fact that until I was 6 I was able to spend every morning with her as she did her errands. She also spent a considerable amount of time as room mother once I was in school. She means the world to me.

But with that said, the older I get the more I appreciate what my Dad has been and done for me. From the time I was very young he was always there for me, even if not vocally. You see, my Dad and I were never buddy buddy like some kids are with their dads (at least how some Father/Son relationships seemed to me) but that's not the kind of guy he is...and in reality, it's not the type of kid I was. I never lacked a Dad when I needed him the most. His opinion always meant so much to me...so much in fact that for most of my childhood I had a shaved head and when I say shaved head I mean SHAVED head. According to my Dad the football players at the high school all shaved their heads and so because my dad wanted me to be a football player so did I.

In fact, I'm probably where I am right now because of my Dad. Sports were something we always had in common and that definitely rubbed off on me. It was with my Dad that I'd sit and watch Cowboys games in the early 90's as they rattled off championship after championship. It was with my Dad that I'd go down to the old Arlington stadium to watch Nolan Ryan pitch. It was my Dad who took me to the church and taught me the principles of basketball and how to actually use the backboard. He wanted me to excel so much and was ALWAYS at my games more so than even my mom (she always had some Relief Society thing to go to). My Dad is my biggest fan and I can't thank him enough for that.

My Mom was always at the forefront of my attention and I only wish I would have noticed my Dad's contribution earlier. Thankfully, I still am pretty young and can make up for all the times he sacrificed for me like the multiple times he hopped into one of my many cars, with and without air conditioning, in the middle of Summer to drive to and from Utah. On this Father's day I wish to honor him for that; For being the best Dad a kid could ever have. He did everything a good father is supposed to do. And now, as I'm closer to being a Father than I ever have been in my life (and no, she's not pregnant), I know that if I'm as good a dad as my own that everything will turn out just fine.

And for the first Father's day ever I'm blessed to have not just one great Dad but two. Our relationship is still just beginning but I couldn't have asked for a better father-in-law than the one that I have. He's just one more great example of what a good Father is supposed to be.

With that said, I want to wish both of my Father's and Father's everywhere a happy Father's day. I can't imagine a world without you (and wouldn't want to anyway).