Well, it just so happens it’s my time to blog today before I head over to my 90yr old Mom’s care home. It’s a good day anytime I get to see my Sister, Brother-in-Law and the two best little nephews a guy could ask for (7 and 5yrs old). But it’s also a tough day, because it’s Father’s Day.
Now to me, a father (just like a mother) is someone that provides and takes care of his family, albeit as “old school” as that may sound, it’s what I know so that’s what I can write about. Since I was adopted from an orphanage as a baby, I can really first hand tell you how important my Dad was in shaping me into the man I am today (and I wish I was 1/2 as good a guy as he ways….because well, I’m not as in love with most people as he was haha).
I remember growing up in our 800 sq foot of living space with at least 4 or more of us most years. My parents not only adopted myself and my two sisters (from separate families), but we also had a “parade” of cousins and foster kids that stayed with us at various times during my childhood. My Dad loved it….the more the merrier he would say. He loved not one of us more or less than the other and was always fair with his “expectations”. Study hard, work hard and save your money for family vacations and Christmas.
We never went without because of my Dad….he worked two jobs and I didn’t see him much until I was about 7. He worked at a factory during the day and different jobs at night. He worked at a corner store in my small town and I would run down there and visit when my Mom let me. He also let me “steal” a chocolate milk (my favorite as a kid). When we spoke about it as adults, I remember saying “Oh yeah Dad, and all those free chocolate milks!” and he replied, “What are you talking about….I had to pay for those!”. That right there pretty much defines my Dad….did everything for everyone and never really expected anything back besides respect and to do what he expected (oh and “not to give my Mom a hard time”…which I usually did haha).
My Dad was my baseball coach and he was at every one of my football games and wanted to be as close to the action and watch me play so he was part of the “chain gang” that was on the sidelines . Whether it was 85F degrees at summer practices, pouring raining in the fall or -10F freezing temps in the winter, he was there. It was odd, because he never “took me” to any professional sports games (“ahhh watch it on TV, you can see more” he’d say), but he was at everything I had going on. My Sister’s as well.
So when I think about the 3 yrs he suffered from lung cancer (yes, you can get it even as a non-smoker like he was), I get angry. So was he near the end….a God-fearing man who went about his life the best he knew how….I get it. Life sucks, it’s not fair and then we die…the end. Ironically, I was diagnosed with cancer 3 yrs before he was and I’m still here. I still struggle some days asking myself why, but that’s how it goes. My Dad never really bitched about it….so I don’t either.
The only difference between my Dad and I is that I had and have so many more opportunities than he did. It would really be disrespectful to not only myself but to my Dad if I didn’t take advantage. He never really said “I’m proud of you”, but he didn’t have to, that wasn’t his style. I knew if he wasn’t giving me a hard time (no news is bad news) that I was doing ok.
So being in Affiliate Marketing and having that opportunity that my Dad didn’t have it’s amazing. I’m grabbing life by the balls and making him proud. I don’t whine when Facebook bans my ad account, I can tell Google F#$K off because they suck if I want and when things don’t go my way, I do what my Dad did. Work at it, own it and find a way…..because if it’s what you want, that’s what you’ll do. Don’t even miss a chance to tell your Dad you love him….you never know when it will be the last time.
Love you “Pops”….miss you everyday!