In honor of Father’s Day being this Sunday I wanted to write a little bit about my Dad. My Dad has always been my # 1 supporter in everything I do so it is an honor to share a little bit about him with you! He is an amazing man and I Love him with all of my heart!
10 things my Dad taught me about Life
- Love, Love, Love with all your heart! One of the things that I love most about my Dad is that he is so sentimental. It is a special trait to have as a man because a lot of men tend to hold back their emotions, some don’t share emotions at all, but the men that do (Like My Dad) are a special kind of soul every woman should have in their life and I feel very blessed to have him.
- Life is hard at times (My Dad knows this all too well … he has had 86 neurosurgeries in the past 40 years from a condition called Hydrocephalus) but even when life gets tough …. He never gives up … He just keeps the faith, and Jesus sees him through it.
- Work hard and you can achieve anything you set your mind to! My Dad is a third generation potato farmer who knows what hard work means. As I worked on the potato farm growing up I watched all the men and women in our family work hard … I learned what hard work meant and what it felt like to have the feeling of achievement from a job well done (no matter what the job was)
- Live your life everyday like you don’t know if there will be a tomorrow. One of the things that goes along with having a chronic illness like my Dad’s is the daily realization that Life is not forever and none of us know when our last day will be … so that being said … never go to bed angry, always tell people you Love them, and never leave things unsaid or unresolved because you never know what tomorrow might bring.
- You are never too old to Chase your dreams ~ You never know where they might lead you. Now that my Dad is retired from farming he has decided to follow his love of music, he has always loved to play music and sing and now he has two steady gigs singing each week in his local town. He’s having fun and still creating an income even after he is retired(He even got a standing ovation from the crowd the other night).
- A Family that sticks together can get through anything. Our family has been through a lot together and one thing that has always been constant is the love we all have for each other. We have definately had our fights and our ups and downs but one thing we have never ever doubted is the love we have for each other ~ My Parents gave that gift to us!
- Music can heal the heart, mind, and soul (even if only for a few minutes) My Dad spends most of his days in a lot of pain but one thing that has always amazed me is that when he sings he doesn’t hurt as much … music can heal and it is a gift from God .. make sure to spend some time each day singing(even if you can’t hold a tune to save your life like me J … it is good for the soul!)
- Marriage is a gift not to take lightly and to be worked at every single day. My parents have been together for 45 years and they have definitely lived through many for better or worse scenerios (more worse than their share to be honest with you) but the love they have for each other is very evident by the dedication they give to each other on a daily basis. A long term illness can put a huge strain on any relationship and it can either make or break how you decide to live your life and how you let it affect you. My parents have chosen to live their life every day with the grace that God gave them, the love of each other, and the support of the loving family they created.
- We don’t get to choose what life gives us (My Dad always says if we did he would be good looking and rich) … but we do get to choose how we handle it. My dad has chosen to live his life with a giving heart, living life to the fullest each day whatever that may bring, and with Love in it everyday … a great lesson for all of us to learn in life.
- Every day on this earth is a gift from God, not to be taken lightly, not to be abused or mistreated … but to be appreciated and feel blessed that Jesus gave his life for us so that we shall LIVE. So make sure you LIVE it to the fullest with Grace and Love in your heart.
As you can probably tell from my list … My Dad is My Hero … he is the strongest man I know and I am so blessed to have him in my life. In honor of Father’s Day I hope you are blessed enough to have a man like this in your life, and if not … then take the time to strive to be that man for someone else … it is a true blessing!
In honor of my Dad please make sure to stop by the websites below to learn more about my Dad and our family’s journey and to also support our fight for a cure for Hydrocephalus.
- 1st Annual Delaware Hydrocephalus Walk
- My Dad’s Music
- Read My Mom and Dad’s Story and Testimonial
- Visit our family website in honor of our mighty God Jesus Christ
I hope you have a Happy Father’s Day!
Kate Wilber
The Marketing Momma