To Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday. There are certain qualities that come to mind when I think of my dad:
- Number one is hardworking. I have never seen my dad spend a day being lazy. He is always doing something, whether it's working around the house or the yard, helping my mom, running errands, taking care of finances, taking care of the business, driving back and forth to Pasadena day in the wee hours of morning, saving people's lives, doing his church callings, and doing things with the family. That about sums up my dad's daily life! He never thinks about himself--he is a real hero because of it. He has a very realistic outlook on life and has taught me the value of work and righteous living by his example.

- My dad takes great care of our family and of my mom in particular. He knows what she needs to be happy and he does his best to follow through with those things. I am glad he is that kind of spouse. I looked for and found that quality in my own husband and I feel loved every single day. More than that, it feels good to know my dad loves my mom more than anything. There is nothing more reassuring than to know that your parents love each other so much and love you too.

- Another role my dad has played in my life is peacemaker and a teacher. There have been many times when I have been stubborn (me?) or really angry about something, and my dad talked to me in private about it and tried to help me see to reason. He helped me learn to say I'm sorry and to forgive, something that really didn't come easy to me when I felt that I was not in the wrong. He taught me that being right is not the most important thing in some cases. My dad is a great example of forgiveness--he does it all the time maybe without even knowing it. He can get frustrated like anyone, but I have seen him demonstrate amazing patience and forgiveness. Most importantly, my dad always reassured me that I was doing okay and told me he loved me. He probably had no idea how much that meant to me whenever I was having a hard time.

- My dad has also been an example of prudence and management. My dad is not in any way materialistic--something that I have to work on daily! There are very few things that he seems to value highly--and "things" are not really in that category. He cares about the important things like the gospel and family. (But thank you though for paying outrageous sums for me to do cheerleading and the other thousand extracurricular activities. It did wonders for my confidence and gave me a really rich life). But I learned by example that possessions and money and "things" are just the extras--that they are not what matter in life.

- My dad is just cool because he is a fireman. This is where he currently works.

.(if that is not the station, it looks a lot like it)
I know he has inspired a lot of the young men in our ward and boys he taught as scouts. Lots of boys became firemen like him like Darren Fay and David Jones. I know there are others. He is really good at what he does, and he influences a lot of people's lives both in his job and outside it.

-I love you, Dad! Hope you had a great birthday!