What My Father Means To Me

How do you put into words how much someone means to you?

I know I can never fully describe how great of a father he truly is without him being here. But I will try, so that someday my own children will be able to see how great he was.

My father sacrificed so much so that we could live the life we have. He served in the Army for 6 years. Was stationed in Korea, California, Colorado, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, and The Arsenal. My mother and him lived a part for a whole year when he was stationed in Korea, just months after they got married.

After serving in the Army, he worked at many different places and told my mom to quit so that she could take care of my sister and me. He worked during the day and went to school at night and got his Bachelors. A few years later he got his Masters. He was so proud of this accomplishment and made sure both me and my sister went to college right away so we didn’t have to do it later in life like him.

He was Mr. Fix-It around our house. If one of our cars needed fixing he could do it. If the stove broke he would be the one we call. On top of all this, he was the one that cooked and cleaned. He was so intelliget as well. Ask him any kind of trivia and he could answer it in a snap. Just recently someone got engaged and he told her it would take 21 days to get used to the ring. We thought he was just joking but then he started rattling off why.

Champions!!

He was the man that coached all of my sports. He coached my soccer teams, my basketball teams, my baseball teams. When I wanted to join a traveling basketball team and I was turned down by another team, he was the first one to volunteer to coach.

He never missed a single one of my games, he was my number one fan, and no matter if we won or loss I knew he’d be there telling me how great I played.

After my sister and me were both done with sports he continued to volunteer at the Moonlight Chase, referee soccer games, and was even thinking about running for school board. When he was hit with this terrible disease, he told us that after he was better, he wanted to volunteer even more.

He drove the whole 12 hours to Florida just so the rest of us could sleep the entire way.

When no one else wanted to go to a movie he would be the one that went with me.

He was always the first one to apologize after a fight.

He would do anything for us.

The cancer might of been the thing that killed him but we will not let it be the thing that defines him. He was the best father a son could ask for. He did the little things for all of us and was always there for us.

I am so grateful to have had a father that was always there and instilled such great values in me and taught me so many great life lessons, like making sure I’m not poking the bear.

I just wish he could have been here longer to give me many more lessons.

On one of his final days I was trying to get him to remember what day it was. He got the correct season but for the date he kept saying it was May 17th. He was getting upset at me and just kept saying May 17th. I couldn’t understand why he kept saying this date, it seemed so random. Until the next day that we remembered, that is the day I graduate college.

This was the moment when I realized, even through all his pain and suffering he was still thinking about us. I know how important it was to him that I finished college and I know how badly he wanted to be there to see me walk across that stage. I know you’ll still be there with me.

And just like he said: “I want to be with you guys forever”.

You will Dad.

Love you Dad