Slice Of Life Sunday ~ Fathers

Today is Father's Day and I could spend a lot of time discussing the amazing fathers I've had the privilege to know. My best friend's father, who is no longer with us. My wonderful husband who helps me every day to raise this tribe of ours, and my own dad are just a few examples of fine men and fathers.

I was definitely a daddy's girl growing up. My dad was one of those men who loved being a father. He loved being with his kids, playing with us, taking us places. In fact I still call my father almost daily and have a cup of coffee while we chat, since I'm so far away. My dad was and is a professional musician (a tenor) who (with my mother) provided me with the opportunity to be exposed to incredible music. And life with musicians can be...interesting. I'm so grateful for the people I was able to meet, conversations I was able to soak up, places I was able to go, and all because my parents had a passion for music.

Contrastly, my dad was a High School History teacher (he was the choir teacher as well) and had a deep interest in what shaped our world as we know it today, how politics work, and what we can learn from the past. Family vacations in my house were often educational at their core. How many nine year old American children spend their Summer in England learning about their heritage and history, not to mention sitting in windows pretending that they're princesses.

My dad is also a spiritual man. He's not a man who can quote chapter and verse of scripture, but he still knows it backward and forward. And it wasn't until recently that I realized how much he shared his faith with me. He has an amazing way of figuring out how to apply the teachings of Christ to what we're going through. And it's his voice that comes back into my head, telling a bible story, when I come across something that I know is wrong or something that troubles me.

Most importantly, my father taught me how men should treat women. While having a short temper (what can I say, we're Celts.) he rarely got very angry. And he never treated my mother disrespectfully. He kept his word when he said he would do something. He always tried to be fair. He was honorable. He believed in values and virtues and tried to instill them in us. These are the traits I looked for when choosing my own husband.

This father's Day I can thank my dad and give him some of the credit for the incredible man who shares my life. My husband married me and began raising my child as his own and has never looked back. He's made my biggest dreams come true by giving me this family. He takes care of us when we're sick. He works hard every day at a job that sometimes drives him crazy. He loves to play with his children and thinks nothing is better than seeing his babies laugh. I look at these two men that God put in my life, and I am so grateful that my sons will have them to look up to, and that I've been blessed with their support and love.