My dad is one of the most creative and hard working people I know. He knows how to live life and be silly. His gentle and kind personality is one to be envied as he can take even the most shocking news with a calm expression and a gentle word. I wish I was more like him every day.
Growing up my dad was always thinking of ways to creatively teach us kids. I remember distinctly his "manners lessons" which included proper terms for the bathroom such as "powder room" and how a gentleman should walk across the road with a lady. (If you are wondering, how are we supposed to cross the road??, here you go... The guy is supposed to walk closest to the traffic. Basically the guy gets hit by the truck before the lady does.) Then there was the mirror at the dinner table lesson. If you chewed with your mouth open at any point in the meal you were given "the mirror." The small mirror would get passed to me after I was caught talking while chewing and get set in front of me while I ate so I would then have to watch myself and how unattractive it was to chew with my mouth open. The mirror left its impression on all of us kids and we became aware of our bad eating habits in time to realize how fun it was to eat in front of mirror. We eagerly accepted the mirror and enjoyed chewing in front of it. Raising vain children was not Dad's intention so the mirror was quickly removed once it seemed we had the drift of things.
I could go on and on about my Dad's creative teaching and discipline tools including having us stare at the un-flushed toilet for ten minutes if we forgot to flush, writing 100 times that "I'm sorry for yelling at mom" and then another 50x "I will say I'm sorry for yelling at mom" after then forgetting to apologize to my mom, running up and down the stairs 50x, and so on... My Dad's creative lessons let all of us kids know that he cared about us very much. He took the time to train us into wholesome and good kids. And no matter how many punishments I received I always knew he loved me and it has helped shape me into the woman I am today and it has given me many creative ideas as to how to train my own kids.
My dad gives me a beautiful image of what and who God the Father is; loving, kind, gentle, disciplining but always forgiving, just but always full of mercy, and full of love and sacrifice. He taught me bible studies, prayers, and christian polka songs to dance to. Most of all he lives what he preaches and is honored for it. He showed me what it meant to lead and follow at the same time. He loves beauty and nature, relaxing and traveling. I have never once heard him complain about work or his job and even told me one day, that he has never dreaded a day of work.
I love you so much Dad and I'm forever thankful for the gifts you have given to me!
Sarah
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