For one of my classes this week we have to write essays on heroism, one of which has to be a hero from your family. I chose to write about my dad... I may not have gotten all the dates right, and I am sure that remembering things through my child's eyes probably skewed some of the facts, but what a humbling experience to write out everything that this man has done for me over the course of my life, and everything that he did before then to ensure that I might be able to be here today, having the life I do... so, I thought I'd share a few excerpts from that essay today, as a way to say thank you to him, as well as to praise God for the gift He gave me in a great earthly father. Through the love and sacrifice of my dad, I am able to see the reflected beauty of my eternal father...
Some things about my dad:
He is a 55 year old small business owner... in his field, he is widely respected... He is a widow, and a father of 3, grandfather of 6, and the constant
male role-model in several other lives. He is brilliantly simple in his view of
the world, and believes in a healthy trust in the goodness of others...He graduated high school in 1976, was married in 1978,
a father in 1979, 1983, and 1984...among the fond memories of his early years is a cute girl that lived a couple houses down. He
spent many days after school, and through the summers, tormenting the girl,
shooting birds out of the trees in her front yard. Bart graduated from high
school in 1976, and while he was trying to plan the next phase of his life, he
learned that his girl down the street was going to be moving to California... so, he followed her... and then,
on her 18th birthday, they got married... The following few years, he
continued to work hard and he became a father for the first time. Things were progressing well through his
life... Then he was faced with a decision. His wife was
pregnant with their second child, he had been offered a higher level job
with a larger company, but his wife’s mother was ill in southwest Missouri. His father-in-law was not in the best of
health either, and the cancer that was destroying his mother-in-law was too
much for him to take care of... he declined the job offer, opting instead to
head into the unknown and help care for the ailing in-laws. He became a father for the second time not long after
getting settled in to this new life. His mother-in-law passed away...followed by his father-in-law...The added
responsibilities of home, and the extreme hours at work... he found a new job...This was quickly followed by the
birth of his third child, me... At the ripe, old age of 29 he bought the company he was working... With just some formal education
beyond high school, using his natural gifts and intelligence, Bart was a
29 year old, married, father of 3, guardian of 1, small business owner, and in
position to continue living his life...until he lost of his father, again... Even with the stress of owning and
operating a business, working 80-100 hours most weeks, he never missed
a beat as a father. He would get home in time for dinner nearly every night, even if
it meant going into work at 2 or 3 in the morning. After dinner was always play
time, throwing a ball around, shooting baskets, or playing board games, it didn't matter, as long as his family was together....He pushed himself this hard for years, always advancing and always
putting his family above himself, serving through tireless sacrifice for our
happiness... he had always hoped on an early retirement, by age 50 if possible. As he was approaching that goal, at the age of
49, life reared its unpredictable head once more. His wife, his darling from
down the street, was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer, just like her mom,
and so many women before her. Millions of dollars in medical bills led to
thousands of dollars in out of pocket expenses over the next 4 years, as the
cancer exhausted far more than their bank accounts...Dreams of a
retirement spent traveling, and enjoying the rewards of a hard fought life,
went up in smoke as she surrendered her battle at the age of 51, leaving him a
widow at 53... he has had to, again rebuild his life around his family, and
start the climb back towards the relaxing rewards he has hopefully earned. At 55,
just this week, he again eyes retirement on the horizon, it just looks different from what he
was expecting all those years before.
My dad’s
life shows immense heroism, through the dedication to family and the betterment
of himself. His steadfast loyalty to the promotion of his values and priorities
is an inspiration to me as a husband and father. The single biggest attribute
that I see as an overarching theme through his life has been sacrifice. We are taught,
by the words of Jesus, in the gospel of John, that no greater love has a man
than to lay down his life for his friends. Whereas my dad has never laid down
his physical life, he has laid down far more than most people would dream, all
for the betterment and promotion of others’ happiness. He is far from perfect,
and he would scoff at the notion of being a hero at all. But I hope to have
shown the pattern of behavior in his life is one that is steeped in the
honorable work of heroism in a beautifully simplistic manner.
Through the
daily work of sacrifice, and a focused desire to always seek the best in
people, he has given us a solid example of heroism. His life works as a lamp
post to aid in understanding that sacrifice is worth nothing unless it is for
others. He has taught me more about being a father and husband than anything
else in this world. His flaws and imperfections are balanced by his often
humble affect. I count myself lucky to have him as such a direct source of
encouragement. I pattern my life on so many of the principles he shared with
me, and he has brought me up in a way to allow me to be the man I am. When he
does fail, he chooses to do what he feels he must do to make it right. It would
be nothing short of hyperbole to say that he has never let me down or
disappointed me, but it would be fully inaccurate if I said that those times
were not more painful for him than they have been for me.
Be thankful for you father... both the one here on earth, and the one whom bestowed that title from Himself unto those which He burdens with the task.
No comments:
Post a Comment