Father’s Day and my Dad
Well, another Father?s Day is now gone, but I wanted to take a second to talk about my dad. It seems like everywhere I look I can trace something back to him. The fact that I work on computers or that I watch baseball every night ultimately ties back to him. And it isn?t just because he?s my dad and that we seem to think very similarly. Many things are tied back to sacrifices and effort he?s made. When I think of baseball, I think of the thousands of hours he spent helping out (not just as a coach) with Little League related stuff. And then there are the hours of just one-on-one time trying to help me improve my skills. I have a love for baseball (and a lot of wonderful memories) because my dad encouraged the interest I had and got involved in a big-time way. That?s always continued: pinewood derby cars in the Cub Scouts, science fair projects, and of course computers.
Becky and I decided it would be really good to have a finished office in the basement to make it easier for me to work from home. But thanks to my parents sacrifice that dream is becoming a reality. My dad worked for 8+ days for 10-12 hours each day. After I finished work each day, I would go down there and help. Even with the shorter hours I spent down there I was tired and sore. I don?t know how he did it. But certainly, if I had been working on the room by myself with my so-called ?spare time?, I would draw the project out into a 6-month ordeal. Now, I have a shot at completing the room in the next few weeks.
The best part of the whole experience, though, was getting to work with my dad. First of all, it?s always a great learning experience. Most of the time, he already knows how to do something the right way. Even if it?s been many years since the last time he did something. His memory is excellent. If, for some strange reason, he?s never done a particular thing before, he?s always great at figuring out what the right way is to do it. It?ll be nice finally having that room done, but the best part of all is just getting to work with my dad.