A tribute to the dad of all dads
My dad wore many different hats and answered to many different “pet” names we kids gave him. How about your dad?
Dad’s are comical, strict, supportive, protective, loving, biblical, and best of all, our hero. Son or daughter, a dad will come to the rescue.
So what category does your dad fall into? And how will you celebrate him?
Our Dad had Quirky Statements
Money doesn't grow on trees!
I think the most common, most heard statement from our dad. In a household full of girls, spending could sometimes get our of control.
It'll put hair on your chest.
This was a classic in our house. This was dad's attempt to get us to eat our vegetables. Being a girl, and not really wanting hair on my chest, eating vegetables was a no brainer.
This hurts me more than it hurts you.
OK, this one never made much sense. This was usually spoken just before punishment was handed down and delivered. How could it be hurting him more than us? He wasn't getting the punishment.
We'll cross that road when we get there.
When asked what would happen if we did this or that, this response was given so that solving that problem could take place later.
It'll make your hair shiny
If the "it'll put hair on your chest" didn't produce results, this quick plan B response came out. Again, being a girl, having shiny hair WAS more appealing than hair on my chest. I did think twice about the vegatables.
It all goes to the same place.
Comical, yet true. When dads are caught eating strange food combinations. It all ends up in the same place, your stomach. So combining flavors shouldn't be a bad thing. However, when you see your dad combining flavors that you know were just never meant to be mixed.....come on dad!
We're not paying the Electric Company to heat the outside!
This went along with money not growing on trees because during the winter months, we kids would leave the door open letting the heat out and the cold air in?
If your friends jump off a cliff, you gonna jump too?
The comeback statement each time we wanted to do something our friends were doing. And then how many times did that "something" turn out to be pretty stupid?
Now you're cooking with peas.
Have you ever had that "light bulb" moment? Well, this quirky statement came out when we kids figured something out on our own, using our own brain. This was the "pat on the back" statement.
Our dad had a biblical point of view
Dad "taught" us
“And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to our sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
dad "provided" for us
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for this of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8
dad "disciplined" us
He who spares the rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Proverbs 13:24
dad "nurtured" us
And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
Our dad was many things
adventure-dad
Our dad was adventurous, and loved being out doors. In addition to weekend trips to the beach, camping in the summer and skiing in the winter were two popular vacations our family went on. Although he did not teach us the tricks to skiing, once we did learn, from the instructors on the slopes, he would take us on a half day excursion, around the mountain. Skiing our way back to the lodge, it was a “follow dad down the mountain” adventure.
He truly loved camping. Taking us kids on hikes and teaching us how to fish. He was also very gentle removing the fishing hook when we would catch our finger rather than a fish.
I remember the first fish I caught and I didn’t want to lose it. I remember flinging the fishing line so hard that the fish flew out of the river and onto the bank. It was covered in dirt so I could grab it. You know how slippery fish are! I brought it to my dad with a big smile on my face. He was impressed and as my reward/pat on the back, he taught me how to gut it, behead it, and cook it! I tell you this, I loved it then and I still love fishing to this day.
Thank you dad for giving me a love for the great outdoors!
business-dad
Being the owner of a Chevron service station, he certainly knew the ins and outs of money management. He taught us kids how to budget, and how to keep a ledger of our earnings and spendings. He set up a ticket system and priced household jobs for us. When we did a chore other than our predetermined allowance chores, we got to write up a ticket and on allowance payday, he would count up the extras we did and pay us our bonus.
He was also a man of habit. Tea, with cream and sugar, was the end of the day beverage for our business man of a dad. He taught me how to make it exactly how he liked it, and tasting it as often as I did to make sure I got the ratio of cream to sugar just perfect, that taste has stuck with me and to this day, I put cream and sugar in my coffee.
Thank you dad for that flavor combination.
family-dad
Family was important to our dad. It was his duty look after us and provide for us, and he took that role very seriously. Unity, spirituality, and stability were number one priorities.
Family game night was a night we looked forward to. One night in particular, we took turns singing along with our favorite song, while wearing head phones. Now keep in mind, this was mid-70’s so music was vinyl LP’s played on a record player/turn table. And the headphones were like mini crock pots hanging on your ears. Good times. But the fun of this family night was how off key we each sang to our favorite song. We could hear the music and words in our ears, but the rest of the family could not. We could not hear ourselves singing, but the rest of the family could. Cringing and laughing, it truly was a “try not to pee your pants” family night.
Nightly devotions was very important to dad. We had, and dad still has, this big red Holy Bible that we read from. It became a Christmas tradition to read the account of Jesus’ birth, recorded in the book of Luke, from this big red bible. Dad (and mom) made sure we went to church, attended AWANA, and went to summer camp every year with our church youth group. Mom and Dad even helped out in the youth department, (not sure how “cool” that really was, having your parents involved in your youth group, but everybody loved them). He enrolled and paid for all four of us kids to attend a Christian school. And as noted in the Adventure-Dad column, all families need vacations, and he made sure we took them.
Thank you dad for the Biblical foundation.
my personal tribute to the dad of all dad's
Growing up as a blended, or merged, family, I was the outsider offspring, in that I was not a biological child to him. HE NEVER MADE ME FEEL LIKE AN OUTSIDER! He and I, to this day, have such a unique relationship, there are no words that can truly describe it. But I am so very thankful to our Heavenly Father for putting our two families together. My mom and me, and he and his two daughters, my sisters. And then to be blessed with a brother.
I want to share the first verse and chorus to a song I gave to him many many years ago for Father’s day. It rang so true to me then, and still does today.
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview
My mama used to wonder if she’d ever meet someone
Who wouldn’t find out about me and then turn around and run
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go
A few months later I remember lying there in bed
I overheard him pop the question and I prayed that she’d say yes
How we went from something’s missing to a family
Lookin’ back all I can say about all the things he did for me
Is I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be…””
In Conclusion
Granted, as a female, I can’t necessarily be half the “Dad” that he didn’t have to be, so I can only hope I’m at least half the parent that he didn’t have to be.
I do not have a male figure in my life or the lives of my children but this was very beautiful to read. Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad you still enjoyed reading. All you can do is pray for the man God has in store for you and your kids. There is a man out there that “doesn’t have to be”, but God willing, will be.
Beautiful post!! Dads make such a huge imprint on their children – strong, courageous, and loving. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. Dads are the cornerstone of the home. 🙂
What a great tribute. I love the pea saying. My dad used to say it alot.
So my dad is not alone in the quirky statements. 😉 Thank you for reading and I am glad you liked it.
This brings back so many memories! I miss my dad every day! A great tribute to yours!
I am sorry you don’t have your dad. You can borrow mine this Father’s day. 🙂 I hope the memories did put a smile on your face.
Great post in honor of your dad! I’m pretty sure my dad said some of those things too….
Dad just have a way of making light of things. They are the balance, my mom would always say. Moms were (are) organization and rules, and Dads are fun, light and layed back.
“This hurts me more than it hurts you.” I have never heard this from my dad BUT some things are twisted in a way…when you grow older and wiser..it all makes sense. My dad would say. “someday when you are grown up you will understand.” Sure did!
“Just wait until you have kids” was one that never made sense, until I had kids. Lol.
What beautiful memories, and such good lessons. My Dad taught me so much, and I am so thankful.
🙂 Dads are the teachers and moms are the take care of. Kids are so much more blessed to have great parents.
Beautifully written memories of a wonderful man (from the portrait you painted.) Thanks for this great post leading up to Father’s Day.
Thank you. He was, and still is, a wonderful man. He is a widower now, but still going strong and we visit as often as we can. We travel to him and he travels to see us.