Today is my dad's 66th birthday. There are a lot of people that have told me I'm a lot like my dad. Although I look a lot like my mom, I think about 60% of my personality comes from my dad. My dad is a perfectionist - down to the core. Whether he is making dinner by perfectly following a recipe or changing oil in 3 cars in one day or ironing creases into his jeans, he never does anything half-assed. His work is precise and accurate every time. It's actually quite exhausting sometimes to see him work. When I'm ready to say "that's good enough" he continues on for 20 more minutes until it is right. Oh, and he can fix anything. I love that. Any problem and the solution is only a phone call away. My dad also knows everything about just about everything. I know everyone thinks their dad is pretty dang knowledgeable, but I'm pretty sure my dad is close to a genius. And if he doesn't know something, he'll read about it until he knows more than the guy who wrote the book. I don't even know how that's possible, but it seems to be how it is. He's also a genuinely good man, who loves his family and always makes sure everyone is taken care of.
I may be the only person to say this about their parents, but I'm glad my parents got divorced. It allowed me to see who my dad really was and I think my parents are much better people apart. When they were married, my dad assumed the typical patriarchal role to provide for the family and to be the disciplinarian. But after they divorced, I got to see my dad for the person he was and not the guy he thought he had to be for the family. I also honestly think I "get" my dad. He's kind of a hard guy to read and seems difficult to please, but it has never been a problem for me. I think that's because we think in kind of the same way and I don't expect him to be someone he's not. It just works between us.
Anyway, I'm glad my dad is my dad. I couldn't imagine having a better one. So, Happy Birthday, Dad!
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